Code Geass R3: Arthur of the Restoration
by Pkd
Summary: Not all plans are perfect. Zero Requiem is no exception as human nature ensures global peace is unachieved as hatred endures. Britannia has fallen into chaos under Nunnally's puppet rule and the Black Knight's tyrannical repression. Only the son of Lelouch and Kallen can restore Britannia back together to a new future. All hail Arthur Vi Britannia, the 100th Emperor of Britannia!
1. Turn 0: Exile

**2023 a.t.b, July 5th**

**07:17 AM**

**Japan**

'_So this is it, Lelouch, Naoto. The very country I was proud to be part of and fought for, I cannot set foot again for the rest of my life… Oh Lelouch, why did you have to choose this path?_' Kallen thought as she looked back at Japan's sunrise for what was definitely the last time she would ever see this sight. '_Why did you picked this path!? You left me, your friends… And your children to suffer from your actions.'_

She then felt her mother tug her arm, motioning to her that it was time to embark the aircraft that would fly them to their new home, Australia, far from the eyes of the world. A neutral nation that endured and stayed independent despite Britannia's conquest of the world. Lack of attention paid to the large nation was the perfect place to disappear and live the rest of their lives in peace. For her, her mother, and her twin sons.

Hugging tightly to her legs were here twin sons, Arthur and Naoto. Arthur looked similar to his father with his dark hair and face, while Naoto had her red hair and a face a blending of her and Lelouch. Both of them were shared the famous purple eyes signifying their royal status as princes of the Imperial Family of Britannia. The 1st and 2nd prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and Lelouch's heir. Seeing the toddler's tired and confused expression made her knee down to hug them tight.

'_Everything I did for Japan and the UFN. The friends, families, comrades, and love I lost to make a peaceful world. And this is what I get paid with, getting scorned and hated by the very country I fought for, called a traitor by majority of the UFN for the crime of having Lelouch's children and raising them. Overnight, I became a hero to someone reviled nearly as much as Suzaku. Most of my friends and comrades abandoned me to face all of this alone._' Kallen bitterly thought in her head. '_The harassments, death threats, and finally the mob made it clear that I wasn't welcome in Japan; it wasn't my home anymore_.'

"Mommy, where are we going?" Naoto whispered as he let out a yawn.

"We're going somewhere safe Naoto." Kallen whispered back.

"Why do they hate us, mommy. Did we do something wrong?" Arthur asked, the near similarity with his father, despite his youth, made him a visible target.

Kallen's heart sank looking at her son's confused and distraught face. She didn't know how to easily explain to them why they were hated by the kids or the adults because of who there father was. And why that meant they were being hated by large portions of the world.

"Kallen, it's time." Kaguya Sumeragi, the chairwoman of the UFN, said to the former Ace of the Black Knights.

The red-haired young woman nodded as she grabbed her children's hand and walked towards the aircraft shuttle. She stopped to look at the UFN chairwomen, giving her a nod as a silent thank you to her. She was one of the few to protect and not abandon her at her most desperate hour just because of the children she carried and the man she did it with to carry them. She did whatever she could to protect her and the children when their heritage was discovered, reining in mobs or officials demanding their deaths or people calling Kallen a traitor. Despite her efforts, Kaguya knew that Japan or the UFN was not a safe place for the family; they had to flee to safety elsewhere.

"I miss him." Kallen muttered.

Kaguya gave her a sympathetic smile to her, understanding what she was feeling as one of the few individuals to figure out what happened on the day of Emperor Lelouch's death. Only time would tell if it was worthwhile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." The chairwoman apologised.

"You did what you could do, Kaguya. This is the choice I've made and my penance." Kallen replied as she embarked on the aircraft.

"Sayonara, Kallen." Kaguya Sumeragi whispered as she watched the aircraft lift up and fly away to the distance. A bitter feeling dwelled in her as she saw one of the greatest women and a hero of Japan forced into exile by the very people and organisation she sacrificed for. All Kaguya could do was keeping the peace and preventing further harm from being inflicted on the family.


	2. Turn 1: Life and News

Also check out "Britannia's Children" by Muse of Schleissheim, who has a similar story idea as me.

* * *

**2037 a.t.b, May 19th**

**07:14 PM**

**West Australia, Outskirts of Perth City**

"Dinner's ready boys!" Kallen shouted as two pairs of feet rushed down stairs of their two-story house to the dining table. Two fraternal twin teenagers sat upon their respective seats on the dining table with their grandmother.

"What's for dinner mom?" Arthur asked, the twin son who resembled his father the most.

"Anything other than the cucumber chicken ketchup salad we ate last Thursday." Naoto muttered, the other twin who resembled his uncle of his mother's side.

"It wasn't that bad." Kallen protested in defence of said dish she cooked up once and only once.

"I have to side with Naoto on that one. I mean who puts together cucumber and chicken and ketchup in the same dish? You're cooking isn't bad mom but that was unanimously bad, as in eating radiant cooked meat bad." Arthur countered.

"I hate to say this Kallen dear, but that particular dish wasn't your best cooking." Naho Kozuki said, the aged woman's hair greyed out and facial features aging.

Kallen grumbled to herself a little ungrateful boys and mother. "Then at least should be happy that its vegetable soup with beef today." As she brought the pot containing the soup to the table and divided into different bowls for her family.

"Its great, right flavour and beef hardiness." Naoto commented slurping in the soup and beef.

"Could use some salt." Arthur added in swallowing the liquid. "Other than that, I like it." He grinned with satisfaction.

The former Red Lotus smiled at the comment and the look of enjoyment on her children's expression at their dinner. It had been initially difficult for the family when they arrived in Australia, despite having a sizeable financial account and Kaguya's aid in having the Australian government shelter them. They had to adapt to a new country from their former home country while searching for a suitable home that would place the children away from the world as well as getting a stable source of income for later years. However thanks to some new friends who helped them despite knowing who they are, they were living a relatively solitary life on the outskirts of Perth city.

"Also mom, when's aunt CC coming to visit us?" Naoto asked. "It has been a few months since we last saw her."

"Yeah, will uncle Jeremiah and aunt Anya come too soon?" Arthur asked too.

"I'm not sure when they're coming. Your aunt is travelling around the world, while Jeremiah and Anya are busy with the orange farm up north." Kallen explained to her deflated sons.

She remembered the day she saw CC again ever since their last fight at Mt. Fuji. The green-haired witch who disappeared from the world for five years with little clue to where she was; only to reappear in front of her house a few months after her family's arrival in Australia, talking to her curious sons. Their first meeting since five years was rather aggressive on her part, fueled by grief and anger towards CC for not stopping Lelouch's death. Though after tensions died down and both of them entering the house, CC told and showed many things to her that Lelouch was involved in that she had no knowledge of.

Showing images of Lelouch's memories like his only usage of Geass on her to get answers; the encounter with Mao and his geass; the SAZ massacre and the accidental cause; his capture by Suzaku and geassed with new memories by the Emperor for a year, hence his rescue at Babel tower; his fake brother Rolo and his geass, which explained those disappearance act; Shirley's death at Rolo's hand; the purge of the Geass Order; C's World where Lelouch killed his father and mother; and finally Zero Requiem from its conception to its finale. All of Lelouch's personal thoughts, burdens, and feelings all revealed to her.

It all left her in tears and with bitter feelings towards the world.

From there on forward CC had more or less became part of the family. The former Black Knight ace and the immortal witch bonded together over their shared love for Lelouch and their sorrow at his death - the death becoming more and more meaningless with the current state of the world, and something CC wished she could've done more to prevent. Arthur and Naoto were quickly drawn to the green-haired women who quickly became their auntie - Nunnally unable to make a single contact with them due to UFN scrutiny.

Kallen saw that CC interacted with her children very well, much to both women's surprise, as the green-haired immortal would often treat Arthur and Naoto pizza meals or entertain them with stories and playing whatever games the boys could think of. CC even confessed to Kallen that the boys were almost like sons to her and that being with them she felt loved, a wish that Lelouch said he would help her find. And in turn the boys loved their aunt CC who they often admitted was a little more fun than their mommy, much to her own annoyance. But it did make her heart sink that Nunnally couldn't be there for her nephews.

As for Orange and the former Knight of Six, they were already living in Australia long before her family arrived - not too long after Lelouch's death. Where Jeremiah ironically opened up an orange farm and had been living a peaceful life farming oranges with his surrogate daughter. The two greatly aided Kallen and her family to settle in Australia, informing them of the important locations to shop for supplies and potential schools for the kids, and using their new connections to quickly find potential job opportunities for her.

When Jeremiah first met Arthur and Naoto, he surprised them by immediately proclaiming his loyalty to the sons of Lelouch and vow he would always be there by their sides in times of trouble. The twin simply accepted his vow and quickly folded their new uncle Jeremiah into their family along with their new sister Anya. Thus Jeremiah became somewhat of a father-figure to the twins deprived of a father, and Anya being a sister-figure to them.

Besides helping Kallen's family settle and meeting his liege lord's sons. Jeremiah and Anya helped Kallen with setting up a security system around her house: putting up cameras and sensors in hidden locations to have a full coverage of the area around the house for potential intruders. And inside the house Kallen had a secret compartment of weapons ranging from simple knives to a shotgun, all of which she trained her sons with for self-defence training despite her mother's opposition to it. But one couldn't let their guard down in case someone seeked to kill the Demon Emperor's son. Which thankfully never came so far…

"That's a shame, I wanted to try what new pizza ingredient aunt CC has for us." Arthur sighed as he said pronounced his aunt's name like CiCi. "And hearing stories of what she did and saw in her travels."

"I don't want to taste something like the avocado pizza ever again." Naoto muttered, shuddering at the remnants of the highly odd pizza he ate when his aunt CC came.

"Oh come on Nat, it wasn't that bad."

Naoto raised an eyebrow at his older twin. "Are you kidding me? You don't mix avocado with something like pizza." The red-haired teen explained, something Kallen agreed with remembering the disgusting sight of one of CC's worst cooking.

The elderly Naho Kozuki interrupted her grandsons. "Your food is getting cold, little mames. You can continue talking after you finished your dinner." She reminded the two teenagers.

"Yes, oba-chan." Both teenagers nodded as they resumed eating their meal, finishing it by slurping down the last contents of the bowl.

"That was a good dinner mom, hope we get something equally good tomorrow." Arthur patted his stomach.

"I'll try thinking of something better tomorrow." Kallen replied.

"Me and Arty could make something together, our cooking skills isn't bad." Naoto offered.

"I look forward to it Naoto, Arthur. My little mames. You have to eat a lot to grow up healthy and strong like your mother." Mrs. Kozuki said to her grandchildren.

"Please grandma, please stop calling us mames." Arthur groaned. "We're not toddlers anymore."

"Nonsense, you're always will be my little beans, little mames." The elder Kozuki simply smiled as Kallen giggled at her mother's statement.

Meanwhile, Naoto excused himself from the table and went to the living room, where he threw himself on the couch and picked up the remote to turn on the TV screen. '_Wonder what's on the T.V tonight_.' The red-haired teen thought as the screen came to life to show a topic that haunted the back of their minds and soon change their life from there on.

"_So far the Britannian civil war has been raging on for over 3 years now with no end in sight. Chaos and death reigns in the mainland of the once proud Holy Britannian Empire._" The news anchor of Australia News Company started off as images and clips of the on-going Britannian civil war appeared beside her. All of them showing combat between different rival factions and combat zones fought with knightmare, infantry, and various vehicles.

"_The Britannian Civil War was started in 2035 a.t.b or 18th Kowa, where the civil unrest stemming from years of political unrest, social tensions, and economic hardships have caused many of its own citizens to take up arms in open rebellion against Empress Nunnally. The added pressure from the UFN reparations and economic sanctions crippling its economy have driven its people to the breaking point._" The female news anchor said as images of the tumultuous period Britannia experienced in the last 18 years was shown.

Industrial plants and factories that once supported Britannia's vast military might shutting down; UFN observers overseeing the disarmament of a military base; massive number of unemployed workers in the streets or trying to find work; starving citizens in the street resulted from food shortages; Britannians forcibly evicted from their overseas homes rendered homeless in the mainland; a crowd protesting in the streets with banners and signs denouncing Empress Nunnally or the UFN/Black Knights; an effigies of Zero, Cornelia, and Schneizel being burnt in the streets; signs painting Nunnally, Cornelia, and Schneizel as traitors to Britannia; a joint force between Principality and Black Knight troops putting down a food riot; a large crowd parading around banners written with "All Hail Britannia" or "All Hail Lelouch", along with pictures of the late Emperor Lelouch; rebel groups seen stealing mothballed nightmares and vehicles from storage facilities or vehicle graveyards; and finally photos of major portions of the Britannian military deflecting with former soldiers and veterans in open rebellion.

Naoto and his grandmother gave a look of concern at the suffering of the people within the photo, and also towards Kallen and Arthur whose expression told a different story: Kallen scowled at the photos, feeling bitter that Lelouch's sacrifice for a peaceful world was in shambles and the flaming mess the UFN had created in their short-sighted hatred. While Arthur's face darkened, with serious and contemplative look on his face that making appear as a mirror image of his late father.

"_The resulting civil war split the country into three different factions fighting for dominance over one another and their vision of Britannia's future. The first and largest faction is the Principality of Britannia whose forces are loyal to Empress Nunnally Vi Britannia. They are also supported by the UFN who sent a large Black Knight expeditionary unit sent for "peacekeeping duties." The second faction refer to themselves as the Darwinists or Old Britannia are led by Grand Duke Marcel de Montreal and the remnants of the purists and the old nobility, who aims to restore Britannia back to its old tradition governed by social-darwinism and the nobility in power. The third and final faction is the group known as Neo-Britannia who comprise of a collection of different groups united in their pursuit to overthrow the Principality and to defeat the Darwinists. Their goal is to restore Britannia to the future envisioned by the late Emperor Lelouch. who they claimed liberated Britannia from the old nobility and abolished the oppressive number system and brought about a new meritocratic system. They reject his title of Demon Emperor and instead refer as Lelouch the Liberator or Lelouch the Great._"

Kallen inwardly chuckled and mused to herself of how truth the "Liberator" title was in many ways. Irony in that Lelouch tried to make himself the most hated man in the world, only for it to only work in the UFN while failing in some neutral countries and most of Britannia, where his rule awed the populace as the first emperor who conquered the world and made improvements in life. That and reactionary views when Nunnally's reign and UFN tyrannical punitive sanctions was having a negative impact on Britannia and its people, along with people who the Britannians see as traitors and war criminals going unpunished. Nunnally reinstating Schneizel to his post as Prime Minister sparked massive outrage all across the country as he was seen as the arch traitor and terrorist who destroyed the Imperial City of Pendragon with the FlEIJA killing tens of millions of his own people..

"_Despite the Neo-Britannians' disorganisation and fractious in-fighting hampering their success and effectiveness. Experts have rated them to be a powerful force capable of toppling Empress Nunnally. Though while they are divided they can agree on one common principle that Empress Nunnally is an illegitimate pretender serving as the UFN's puppet in their goal to humiliate Britannia, and that the only legitimate successor to Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia is his twin sons. As shown from this footage of General Finlay's speech to the most prominent Neo-Britannia group, the White Phoenix._"

The TV screen changed to show a footage of an orange-haired woman in her 40s standing upon a wreckage of a Akatuski knightmare acting as a make-shift podium, surrounded by men and women in military armor or uniform. "_Sons and daughters of Britannia. For 2 years we fought and struggled together to bring about a better future for Britannia, for our people whose dignity and pride and right to happiness stripped away by the traitorous puppets. The United Federation of Nation claimed to bring peace and stability, yet they slapped away the hand of peace we once gave them –_."

* * *

"_First with unlawfully imprisoning our late Emperor Lelouch at neutral ground and calling him treacherous in a breach of decorum! Forcing Emperor Lelouch in response to this casus belli to declare war upon the UFN._" She shouted as her troops shouted and grumbled in agreement.

Kaguya Sumeragi winced at the reminder of that particular moment in her time as Chairwoman of the UFN council. The woman who helped Kallen and her family safely flee to Australia looked on with serious concern at the speech within the TV screen. The former chairwoman, now Prime Minister of Japan, sighed at the mess within Britannia. She was angered by her former colleagues and friends within the UFN and the Black Knights who allowed this mess to happen in the first place.

Ruining her and Zero's effort of trying to create goodwill and peace and posterity between Britannia and the rest of the world. Those whose' hate never let them go, or now refocused to a new target with Lelouch's death ensured that the next-generation would pay for such hate. Even as Britannia in its weakened stance tried to create peace, their efforts was rebuffed and spit on by the UFN and the Black Knights.

Punishing the children for the sins of their forebears would only worsen matters between the UFN and the Britannians. The children too young to understand and those yet to be born growing up burdened and punished by the world for what their forefathers committed. A generation growing up in a home struck with hunger, humiliation, poverty, and stripped of their pride of self-governance. While the UFN continues its policies and putting further measure under pathetic excuses, or strong-arming the Principality to comply with its policies at the expense of the people. The new generation that has nothing but resentment and hate towards the entity who tyrannically punished them for the crimes they did not commit.

She remembered her last parting words before her resignation over the draconic treatment of Britannia and lack of any effort to create a lasting peace. "_**This is not a peace that will last for many generations. It is an armistice that'll last for decades. And when war comes, you're find a burning inferno of your own making crying justice and revenge as it consumes you**_."

* * *

General Finlay continued on. "_Even after Zero murdered our Emperor. We were still willing to create a semblance of peace between Britannia and the UFN. Yet they slapped away the hand that was willing to make peace happen, and instead spit and scorned on us as they slowly kill our country and make the young suffer for it. __The hunger and homes and jobs torn from us without our input or the territories themselves closely tied to us that they may as well be Britannian! Remember the millions arriving at the homeland with nothing and forced to sleep in the streets; the short-sighted decisions of our impotent ruler that millions cannot feed their families or live; and the famine that haunts us for years as we were forced to see our children starve!_" She yelled as Neo-Britannian let out cries of agreements with some expressing anger at their impotent Empress.

"Quite the speech, General Finlay is making huh." A mechanic remarked at the radio.

"Yeah, too bad we're not serving under her considering our group is literally on the frontlines. And between us and her, we have others too busy squabbling over one another." A Neo-Britannia soldier complained.

"Shut it, we're trying to listen here Kelly." Valentina Pelsy barked out, sitting against the foot of her inactive knightmare as she gripped her fist tightly in silent anger.

* * *

"_And this is why we fight. We fight for a Britannia where future generations could prosper! We will never return to the past that brought dishonour, shame, and division as the Darwinists desire, where the nobility controls everything with no merit to their name! We will never submit to the principality ruled by traitors and UFN puppets, humiliating and tearing our country apart. And we will never bow before the puppet and the pretender to the throne, Nunnally Vi Britannia._"

Nunnally looked on with sadness and resignation at the screen. Knowing that what General Finlay was saying right in many ways, yet there wasn't much she could do against it. She had limited options to alleviate her people's suffering with UFN heavy scrutiny. Leaving her with not many ways to stop the ensuring civil war tearing apart the country and leaving millions suffering.

* * *

"_We will overthrow the pretender to the throne, the illegitimate 100th ruler of Britannia! The rightful heir to the throne of Britannia is the twin sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia! If you can hear me your highness, the people of Britannia needs you. They cry for someone who can lead them out of the darkness Britannia is in and restore us with our dignity! Ascend the throne and put an end to this madness plaguing our country and people. All Hail Britannia! All Hail Lelouch!_" General Finlay finished with a chant hailing Britannia and Lelouch.

"_ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!_" The forces of Neo-Britannia roared out, cheering for their country and Lelouch's name. Hopeful that their fortune would be on their side. And the rightful heir of Britannia emerge from hiding to lead them to victory.

"That is a problem… It would be the best this matter is solved quickly and quietly…" Schneizel El Britannia observed as a familiar red tint within his eyes slightly flared.

* * *

**Please Read and Review!**

**Arthur and Naoto Stadtfeld/Vi Britannia are 18 years old and born on January 6th of 2019 a.t.b or 1 Kowa.**

**Arthur heavily resembles his father with some of his mother's trait, while Naoto resembles his namesake uncle.**


	3. Turn 2: The Day a King Was Born Pt1

**2037 a.t.b, May 20th**

**02:39 AM**

**Perth City**

Arthur hummed to himself as he exited the supermarket located at the edge of Perth city, his left hand holding a large bag containing today's grocery list with everything from food recipes to household supplies like shampoo. Today was a slow day as the day seemed to move slowly and he had not much to do besides lazing around or helping with chores. Deciding that he needed some air and outdoor exploration, he volunteered to buy today's groceries.

He passed by various Australians going about their daily life, occasionally giving greetings or brief chats to people he recognised. But for the majority of them he ignored their presence as they ignored his, content with minding their own business. A state Arthur preferred as he could focus on his own business. He had enough attention in his life for the past dozen years.

The 18-year old Britannian - he considered himself one - briefly glanced at a man reading a newspaper that contained yesterday's news of Neo-Britannia proclaiming its continued struggle and call for the lost prince to take their rightful place. The teenager quickly looked down as he remembered yesterday's news broadcast and everything afterward. Another argument with his mom on the controversial topic of their royal heritage, Neo-Britannia's ideals, and the UFN.

Arthur Stadtfeld, or Arthur Vi Britannia; Older twin brother to Naoto Stadtfeld/Vi Britannia; son of Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia and Black Knights Ace Kallen Kozuki-Stadtfeld; crown prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and Emperor Lelouch's legal successor. That's what he was, but to the world he and Naoto were the spawn of the Demon Emperor; his living legacy, a symbol of his oppression and tyranny. To them he and his brother were the misbegotten bastard children that never should have been born, an animal waiting to go rabid and be put down. He got the most attention and ostracisation than Naoto, being the visage of his late father, but his twin still got plenty of hate. But what enraged him the most of all the indignities he and his family had suffered was the blatant hypocrisy from her mother's supposed friends. She had risked her life fighting for the freedom of Japan, that accursed island, and they showed their gratitude by discarding her like a used paper towel.

Everything she fought for was thrown aside.

He remembered his time in Japan living in a brief state of fear when his parentage was found out. The former kids he once played with bullied or ran away from him, while the adults threw all sorts of curses and spits at him with some even trying to attack him. If it weren't for his mother and few others whose kindness was beyond their own people, he wouldn't be alive now.

Thus ever since that fateful day his family left that accursed land for Australia, they have been largely living in a state of relative secrecy. The UFN demanded to take custody of the children under their watchful 'care', but the Austrailians rejected saying they were now Australian citizens. They would have undoubtedly murdered him like how they murdered his father for bringing peace and order to the world.. Thus significant portions of the world outside saw his existence in either contempt or hate. The rest however mostly in Britannia saw his existence as a source of hope in dark times, something that touched his heart.

He was the direct son of Lelouch Vi Britannia, making him his father's legitimate successor to the imperial throne of Britannia by blood. Though many in Britannia and UFN were wondering how the former Black Knights ace was pregnant with the 99th Emperor's children. Many theories, conspiracies, and rumours were thrown around: UFN and Black Knights pushing the major theory of the Demon Emperor forcing himself upon Kallen Kozuki after his grand victory; though this did brought up a major question of why she didn't rid or told anyone of the children and how she ruthlessly defended them or resigned from the Black Knights. Which aimed to the second popular one of many were suspecting either she was a double agent for Lelouch or him seducing her to betray her allegiance to him - possible explanation for Lelouch's victory despite the Black Knights having the advantage with Damocles. This theory seemingly more likely as noted in Kozuki's prior behavior and her noble lineage to the Stadtfeld family.

Though one factor was that she was part of the group about to be executed with the remaining Black Knights officer. But a good number of people suspected that she was going to be spared or her death being faked, and that was before Zero 'conveniently' showed up at the right moment and time to assassinate Lelouch with strength not possible for a human being.

Whatever the case was, it wasn't a secret among many Britannians hating the usurper's rule and general state of Britannia that he and his twin were the rightful heirs of Britannia. Not their weak Empress or the prime minister whose hands were drenched in the blood of over 50 million Britannians he murdered, something said Empress indirectly took part in and one the Black Knights more or less supported. Knights of Justice… What a bunch of hypocritical crap. Where was justice for those Britannians killed by Schneizel? Where was justice for the new generation punished for crimes not of their own? Where was justice for him and Naoto for being treated as a rabid animal or what his mother's treatment?

For all the complaints and exaggeration they say about the Demon Emperor, they do forget that they first started the war with Lelouch and slaughtered the people of Pendragon with FLEIJA. Yesterday's news brought up emotions and thoughts he didn't often bring up, and another round of argument with mom of his heritage and the mess in Britannia. Even if he was officially Australian citizen and ¼ Japanese, he considered himself a Britannian. For it seems like the majority of Britannia accepted him rather than viewing his existence as contempt.

But what could he do now? He couldn't simply leave and join Neo-Britannia to rally them together, his mother wouldn't allow it and it would put his family in the spotlight of danger - Naoto, mother, and grandma would possibly be targeted. He had much to lose now if he went ahead with his secret desire to help Neo-Britannia and take his rightful claim to the throne.

Also, the UFN and Black Knights would leave him alone as long as he didn't do anything that grabbed their attention. He didn't make any announcements of his claim to the throne, so he wasn't a player in the game.

* * *

_"Why Kallen… Why did you betray me?"_

_"No, no, no! I didn't mean to!" Kallen shouted in panic, finding herself surrounded by darkness and a dying Lelouch in front of her._

_She found herself on the Ikaruga, the day of the fateful betrayal from the Black Knights and where things went wrong. Then her surroundings changed to Ashford Academy, where she kissed Lelouch in trying to gain answer but left heartbroken, fooled by his mask. Finally it changed to the day he died by Zero, no Suzaku's hand as his dying body slid down the parade float._

_"I see I was wrong to trust you, Q1…" Lelouch gave a disgusted groan coughing up blood as he started to fade_

_"Wait, please wait Lelouch!" She cried out in desperation and shame, all sorts of feelings of guilt self-loathing filling her soul._

_"Why should I? Just as you betrayed me, you'll end up betraying our son." The fading Lelouch let out a dark chuckle as a new voice completely froze Kallen._

_"M-mother, w-why?" Arthur's voice called out to her shocked and afraid._

_Kallen turned around in panic and shrieked at the sight of her son dying on the ground. Bullet holes, stab wounds, bruises, and burns were all over his body, and his facial expression forever haunting her as his eyes was filled with confusion and despair. She ran towards her son's body in an attempt to comfort and keep him alive._

_"Why did you let them get me, mama?" Arthur's body changed to that of a terrified toddler. "Why did you let them kill Naoto and me?"_

_"Please stay alive my little one. Mommy's with you, she'll always stay with you forever." Kallen whispered, her mind in panic trying to save one of the last living legacy of her love. Then Arthur's body faded away, leaving her kneeling on the dark floor with blood covering her hand._

_Kallen stared at her hand, her sanity at its tipping point. Her love and leader died because she failed to see through his lies, too late to stop what he was doing. And now, one of her sons is dead, the one who was the last living memory of Lelouch and her greatest gift. All because she was weak. Because Kallen Kozuki was a foolish woman unable to carry with her own conviction, content with being a lapdog to those who spit on the memory of the greatest hero to walk the earth. And because of her, Lelouch and Arthur were dead._

_Then the darkness morphed into a variety of demonic looking figures. Those of the Black Knights and her former comrades laughing demonically, pointing their twisted fingers at her suffering. Blind, hellish rage started to cloud her mind as she started to rise up and abo-_

"Mom! Wake up!" Naoto shook his mom from her nap.

Kallen abruptly woke up from her nightmare, deeply breathing in and out as sweat poured down her shaken face. Relief filled her as she realised that it was all a bad nightmare from her nap. Arthur was still alive and safe.

Naoto looked at his mother in concern, knowing what she likely woke up from. In the last several years, Naoto, Arthur, and their grandmother noticed their mother suffering occasional nightmares related to her time as a Black Knight ace and their father. He had seen her speak in her nightmare begging their father not to go, constantly saying sorry, and begging why he had to do it. If there was any doubt that their mother didn't love Lelouch Vi Britannia, then that moment there was a moot point.

"It's just past 6pm. Grandma and Arthur just finished preparing dinner. They sent me to wake you up since dinner is coming soon." Naoto told his mom rising out of the bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Naoto." Kallen answered fast. But Naoto suspected that reply wasn't fully truthful but he let it slide for now.

* * *

"Is there something wrong, little mame?" Mrs. Kozuki asked her grandson, who was cleaning out the plates and pots of their recently finished dinner. Kallen retreated to her room to finish some personal work, while Naoto was at his and Arthur's bedroom reading some novel he bought. Thus leaving Mrs. Kozuki alone with her grandson at the dining table drinking her tea.

Wiping clean of the 3rd plate and putting it in the rack, Arthur sighed and responded. "It's… It's nothing, oba-chan. Just feeling a bit tired today."

"Doesn't sound like you're simply tired, Arthur." Mrs. Kozuki said. "Don't avoid or lie the subject, just let it out."

"There's nothing wrong, grandma… Well I guess there is." Arthur admitted, knowing he couldn't hide it from his grandmother. "Just everything with yesterday's news and everything with it. I want to do something about it, yet I can't really get myself to do something about it."

"There's a lot of people wanting me or Naoto or both of us to help them. People who actually don't look at us with contempt and disgust or hate; folks who actually like us!" The son of Lelouch exclaimed passionately. "Unlike the UFN or Japan." Arthur spat out with a darken look. "They more or less exiled us, tried to kill me and Naoto, and more importantly threw you and mom out like some trash! And killed Father." He whispered the last sentence.

Naho Kozuki could see the whirlpool of frustration, distress, and anger within his royal purple eyes. It ached her heart that she and Kallen couldn't fully heal the resentment and distress Arthur and Naoto had. Her two little sunshines who drew the UFN's ire and suffered a near-death experience at a violent mob. More so with her daughter Kallen shamed and insulted by many others, including her former comrades and friends in the Black Knight and others, while those of Ashford and handful like Benio stood by her.

She did not know what exactly was her daughter's true relationship with Emperor Lelouch other than being classmates. But all she knew was that her daughter truly loved Lelouch Vi Britannia enough to be pregnant with his sons willingly, and the various moments where her daughter looked at his old photos with longing and sadness. How could a man be truly evil if her daughter fell in love with him?

Thinking of that, Naho Kozuki's heart ached for the loss of her former husband who died when Pendragon was destroyed. And also the thought of how Kallen was quite similar to her in many ways they weren't aware of.

"Arthur, your mother and I are quite similar. We fell in love with Britannian nobles - a royalty for your mother's case - and would do anything for that love even if it made us suffer. Even more so when it's for our own children: I suffered many abuses and used to refrain just to be by your mother's side even if she didn't want me to stay. Your mother loves you and Naoto very much that she sacrificed a better life and reputation for you two, and would do anything to keep you two safe no matter what. She doesn't want you to enter a life of suffering and death like she endured when she was young…" The elder Kozuki finished.

"Oba-chan I-" Arthur was cut off as a loud boom rippled throughout the house. He felt himself flying as the house rattled from the explosion. He tried to reach out for his grandmother only to find himself unable to move as his vision faded to black.


	4. Turn 2: The Day a King was Born Pt2

Arthur's eyes slowly opened as he let out a groan, his entire body aching in pain. He didn't know exactly what happened other than an explosion tearing the house apart. The teenager slowly sat up, pushing away the wooden debris over his body. He saw his clothes torn apart in several places, showing off bruises and bleeding cuts. The 18-year old was trying to figure out what caused the explosion before realising who he was trying to reach out when it happened.

"Oba-chan!" He screamed as she scrambled across what remained of the living room of the house, now exposed to the chilly night. There were fires still blazing in several areas that could potentially become dangerous, but Arthur paid no attention as he searched through the debris for his grandmother.

He pushed and threw aside any debris in his way, desperately trying to find his beloved grandmother, hoping she was alright. He was also concerned for his mother and brother's fate but he had to make at least make sure his grandma was alright. Unaware that outside of the house were handful of individuals dressed in black and armed heading towards the ruined house.

"Come one, Oba-chan! Please answer me, please say anything!" Arthur yelled desperately. He was hanging on a thread of hope that his grandmother could be still alive from the explosion, even when a part of him knew the likely chance of her surviving was very slim.

His effort intensifed when he saw her hand, a glimmer of hope flared that she might be alive. Using his remaining strenth and adreneline, he pushed away a plank of wood to finally see the body of his grandmother. Portion of her face burnt from the explosion with pieces of wood impalled on her chest - around her heart and lungs, along with her right arm reduced to a bloody stump.

No sign of breathing from her mouth or nose. Her eyes void of any life or the loving kindess he always saw on it.

Arthur fell to his knees at seeing his grandma's corpse. His oba-chan was dead. Idyllic memories of his grandmother who took care of him whenever his mom wasn't around; feeding and playing together when they were toddlers; scolding him or Naoto or both whenever they got into trouble; and protecting them from anybody who tried to harm him and Naoto for who their father was. One of the several people besides his mom and auntie/2nd mother CC who showed kindness and love to him. One of the few beacon of light that shone in this complicated, dark world he and Naoto were living through.

And now… She was dead, gone forever from this world. All because of those rats coming up right behind him, the ones who took away his oba-chan just as they took away his father from family.

"We found one of the targets." He heard one of them said in english.

It seems that the Black Knights or the Principality decided to finally get rid of him and his family. Even when he and Naoto stayed isolated from the world and did nothing against them nor entered the spotlight.

He turned around to face them, refusing to give them the dignity of finishing him off with a shot to the back of the head. He was scared of his fate and possible death but he refused to give them the satisfaction as he gave them a face full of rage. The team composed of around seven men and women in unknown black suits reeled back at seeing the visage of Lelouch Vi Britannia, some of them shaking as if they were encountering Lelouch himself.

"It's… Really him. The demon's spawn." One of them whispered in japanese.

"Are you satisfied?" The first words from Arthur took them off guard.

"Are you satisfied that you attacked my house, hurt my family, and took away my grandmother!?" Arthur demanded as raging emotions entered his voice as tears started to flow down his cheecks. "What did I ever did to the world!? What did I and my brother do to deserve this!?" He shouted to the kill team.

"My mother risked everything for the Black Knights and that accursed island! And yet they and her so called comrades and friends cast her aside because she gave birth to me and my brother and raising us!? All because who my father was? The father who united the world in peace and forced to fight back when the Black Knights took him hostage at a neutral location and aided Schneizel who slaughtered millions of his own people!?" Arthur roared.

"Demon Emperor… Quite the projection when one is willing to work with the prime minister who murdered over 40 million people at Pendragon without any remorse, especially that snake who conquered or nearly conquered over dozen members of the UFN. Not to mention the hypocrisy of the Black Knights giving the rank of general to a princess who subjugated many countries under slavery, directly responsible for countless massacres against innocent lives at her orders, and the one who likely influenced her younger sister to conduct the SAZ massacre – its something I could see her doing. Oh, did I mention if she ever regretted such acts and tried to redeem herself for it. Well, mate?" Arthur mockingly asked them despite feeling the opposite inside, raging emotions got the better of him.

It appeared his words had some effect as some of the black-suited figures appeared hesistant or looking questionaly at each other. His words having quite the point in them. Though the others still trained their guns at him, ready to execute him on the spot.

That was when a shotgun blasted through the air, eating away the leftmost individual's head in a shower of blood and gore. The 2nd shot taking away the right arm of the 2nd member of the kill team, who fell down to the floor screaming in agony. The rest of the kill team and Arthur scrambled for cover as another shotgun blast nearly killed its 3rd target.

Kallen Kozuki-Stadtfeld appeared out of a dark, ruined hallway armed with a smoking shotgun aimed at its next target. Arthur saw his mother was okay but bleeding from her forehead and with several cuts across her body and face. Her facial expression was that of a angry mama bear, ready to kill anything that was near or remotely a threat to her cubs.

"Get away from my son!" She screamed, firing another pellet as she quickly dove for the cover Arthur was hiding in. Maternal instincts slammed into the forefront when she saw the condition of her son.

"Arthur! Are you alright my son!?" Kallen looked around him rapidly and cubbed his cheek for any severe wounds.

"I'm alright mom. But g-gran-grandma… Oba-chan is dead, mom. She's dead." Arthur chocked out. "What about Naoto?"

"Your brother's fine…" Kallen whispered as the news of her mother's death reached her ears, along with laying her eyes on the corpse nearby. Tears went down the red-haired woman's cheek in seeing her mother's corpse, and the reminder that besides her children, all of her family were dead. However, gun shots from the intruders ruined any current chance to comprehend and mourn Naho Kozuki's death.

Pumping her boomstick, Kallen peaked out and fired a shot that nailed one in the knees. The assassin fell down with a howl, clutching his bleeding leg that got divided into two pieces. This resulted in intensified gunfire from the remaining five assassins.

It was a intense, heart-stopping moment. Gunfire paused and continued on as both sides reloaded and exchanged fire. Kallen grunted as she ducked down for cover when a bullet nearly grazed her head; the red-haired woman knew that this fight wasn't going in her favour, outnumbered and outgunned. She was limited to few rounds left in her shotgun and her poach knife. All she could do was getting her sons out of here safely and hope that help would arrive soon.

"Mom, you're bleeding…" Her son whispered with wide eyes.

She looked down to see blood slowly growing underneath her sleevless shirt. The adrenaline coursing through her body must have made her ignore the pain from the wound. However, the adrenaline would fade away soon, leaving her to face the bleeding wound. Then right as she finished that thought, pain exploded from the wound causing Kallen to let out a howl of pain.

"No, no, no, no! Mom, you can't die!" Arthur clutched his head in fear and despair. His mom was injuried and possibly dying if she didn't got medical attention quickly; while he was sitting there helpless.

Arthur saw his mom turning her head to face him with tears pouring out of her eyes from pain. The very same blue eyes filled with fear and determination – flames that has yet to be killed despite being nearly quenched.

"Arthur, please listen carefully. On my mark, I'll pop out and distract them. You go to the garage where Naoto is and take him to the main road where Jeremiah, Anya, and the police will soon come."

"What about you!?" Arthur exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me, Arthur. You and Naoto have to live." Kallen whispered to her son, her mind going back to that fateful day aboard the _Ikaruga_.

_"Kallen, you have to live."_

Kallen reloaded her shotgun with fresh pellets before coming out of the cover to provide a distraction.

"Go now!" She yelled as Arthur quickly ran towards the garage where his twin brother was currently at. The former Black Knights ace now fully focused herself on making sure the scums' attention was on her.

* * *

"Naoto! Are you alright!?" Arthur entered the garage and saw his wounded twin brother resting his back on a wall. He had a bandage stained with some blood warped his forehead to block the bleeding, and a makeshift splint around his right arm.

Arthur knelt down to check his twin brother's condition. A breath of relief came out of his mouth in seeing Naoto was still breathing, if injuried from the explosion prior. Then the red-haired teen's eyes slowly opened to show their famous, royal purple eyes as Naoto struggled to stand by.

"Arty, what's going on? I remember being an explosion… Where's mom and grandma?" Naoto groaned as Arthur helped him get on his feet.

"We have to get out of here Naoto! Mom's buying us time to get away to uncle Jerry and sister Anya!"

"Are the Black Knights attacking us?"

"Them and the Principality, they're here to finish us. Murder our entire family!" Arthur's anger felt in every word that exited his mouth. "They even murdered oba-chan!"

"Oba-chan… Is dead?" Naoto's eyes shook in disbelief. "She can't be dead, she can't be de– ."

"I saw her body, brother. Grandma is gone… They ki–." Arthur was cut off when he heard a gun cock behind him, and seeing Naoto's eyes widen at someone behind him.

Arthur cursed himself for not realising how the house got silent, the gunfire ceasing to be when he arrived. His eyes widen at the thought of the high possibility of his mom meeting the same fate as his grandma.

The black-clad assailant slowly aimed his pistol at his target with his wounded arms in a shaky motion. Brown eyes gazed upon with contempt and nervousness at seeing two pairs of purple eyes, particularly the one who so eerily resembled the Demon Emperor.

"Target sighted, eliminating target Alpha and Bravo." The assailant spoke with english with a Japanese accent. "The children of the demon die today."

'Is this how we die today?' Both twins thought to themselves, eyes trained on the gun unable to move with death about to embrace them.

'I guess this is how our family's going to reunite.' Arthur clenched his hand hard.

"Pity that Kallen Kozuki was the one to spawn and take care of you. A good Japanese woman like her should've ha– GAHH!" The Japanese assailant screamed as his right hand was chopped off. The hand holding the pistol falling to the ground while the assassin screamed in Japanese.

"I would prefer you refrain from harming his majesty's children and insulting Lady Stadtfeld's honor." Jeremiah Gottwald calmly spoke, appearing before them with his bloodied wrist blade and wearing a simple farmer's clothing.

"Uncle Jerry!" Naoto and Arthur cried in elation.

"Just as I swore my undying loyalty to your grandmother and your father. The loyalty of Jeremiah Gottwald will forever be by your side, prince Arthur and prince Naoto!" Jeremiah approached the wounded assasin lying on the ground.

Jeremiah then lifted the assassin by the throat, who was now desperately trying to free himself from the increasing pressure around his neck. "Anya is waiting for you two, she's currently attending to your mother's wounds right now and will help yours soon."

Naoto and Arthur nodded as they quickly made their way towards where their adopted sister and mother were located at. Leaving Jeremiah alone with the suffocating assassin.

* * *

"Mom!" Arthur and Naoto shouted in horror as they rushed outside towards their mother lying on a makeshift stretcher covered in bandages and such. Anya Alstreim was next to her with a small medical box, working to make sure she lived to see another day with her remaining family. Fear gripped the twins' heart at the sight of their mother in such horrible condition and the possible idea of their mother dying in front of them.

And on the other side of Kallen was the corpse of their grandmother, Naho Kozuki, covered in whatever blankets and clothing Anya could find. Naoto fell to his knees as tears poured down his cheeks in truly seeing she was dead; he then shook her body pleading to her to wake up hoping all of this was a terrible nightmare. A teary-eyed Arthur looked away and let his brother mourn as he looked around.

The house they called home for many years was in ruins, only 1/3 of it and the garage remaining intact, everything else was on fire, burnt, or in pieces. And near the ruined house were the bodies of Principality and Black Knight assassins lined up. They were shot, beaten, broken, stabbed, and slashed to death. The ones with intact heads had their masks uncovered to show individuals of different nationalities: Japanese, Britannians, Europeans.

All the more evidence the Prinicpality and the Black Knights were behind this. The Australian government wouldn't be happy with this sight. The UFN caught violating Australia's neutrality and sending in a hit squad to kill a family who were officially Australian citizens.

Even being in a neutral country and taking upon the citizenship of said country wasn't enough for the Black Knights. He could see now they would do anything in their power to end his family, to finish what they started with his father.

They could hide away for the rest of their life with false identities and changing their appearance … But how long would that last? Living the rest of their days in fear that they would be found again by the Black Knights and constantly hounded by death? Arthur knew that wouldn't change anything and he refused to live that path, not when they hurt his family and murdered oba-chan.

He also saw the blaring lights from police cars and an ambulance approaching from the distance. But they would arrive too late and left cleaning the aftermath of the event that transpired there.

Jeremiah then came out of the garage, cleaning his wirst blade with a piece of cloth as he ran towards them. Remembering Jeremiah's oath of loyalty to his family, and formerly served as the Knight of One under his father. Everything became clear to him. They wanted him and his brother dead in fear of their legitamate claim to the Britannian throne. The rightful 100th ruler of Britannia. The one Neo-Britannia and many were calling for, enduring constant hardships and brutal battles to making it a reality.

People who wanted him. An entire country of people who didn't hate him and Naoto.

"They will pay, Naoto." Arthur whispered with his hand curled into a fist, and his nails digging into his palms.

Naoto turned at his brother and blinked. He had never seen his brother this angry before in his life. Never during the arguments he had with their mother, nor during the jeers and mockery they had to endure from many of their other peers when they called him and his brother names such as Demonspawn.

"They will pay, Naoto. I promise you this! They will pay for harming mother and killing oba-chan!" Arthur gritted the words out of his mouth forcefully. "The Black Knights, the UFN, and Nunnally Vi Britannia won't stop until they have us dead! I refuse to keep running, and its time we take the fight to them! It is high time we reclaim our birthright as the true successors of our father, Emperor Lelouch."

Arthur's face slowly calmed down but retained its rage. "I will promise this, brother. For our family to be safe again, **I will become the Emperor of Britannia!**" He declared, clenching his fist in front of him.

Jeremiah paused staring at the young Prince. He had seen those same and eyes and anger before in Emperor Lelouch all those years ago. Only this time instead of Rebellion and destruction, he saw a future of great change and hope where Britannia would once again reclaim its glory and Empire humbling all those who sought to bring it low.


	5. Turn 3: Britannia Divided

_"May 20th, 2037 a.t.b, or Kowa 18th going with the defunct calender system used by the UFN. That was the day that everything changed for the rest of the world. The failings of the UFN and the Black Knights becoming clearer than ever before with the balant violation of Australia's neutrality and such, and the start of a deadly crisis within its member state and supposed guardians. But most importantly, it sparked the rise of Arthur Vi Britannia and the new incarnation of the Holy Britannian Empire."_

_\- Unknown Chinese Professor, 2049 a.t.b._

_"The UFN/Black Knights messed with the wrong family. Then again, without the 1st Zero and Lady Kaguya Sumeragi, they weren't what they used to be."_

_\- Unknown Neo-Britannian soldier_

**2037 a.t.b, May 26rd**

**Britannia, Duchy of Pennsylvania's southern border**

"6th Squadron, reinforce captain Abe's company, they're under heavy fire." A Black Knight commander ordered within his Akatuski Zikisan knightmare. "Have Jules' team strike at their left flank and provide them with support." He ordered as he fired his last radiant wave rocket.

"Hai!" The Black Knight forces responded.

"Keep hammering them until their lines break, then we can move in and finish them in one strike!" The commander yelled as he launched a RW rocket from above.

The Black Knight forces intensified their attack at the enemy position, determined to make this day a great victory. The ground-bound Akatuski charged and maneuvered their way through the battlefield, firing their 20mm autocannons at or slicing Sutherland drones apart with the chainsaw batons. While their flight-capable counterparts rained fire from the skies with bazooka and missile fire. The 6th-gen Panzer-Hirsch – succesers to the Panzer-Hummel – providing heavy fire support for the more melee-centered KMF.

They were the vanguard group sent to breach the southern borders of the region held by the Darwinist Britannians, hoping to establish a hole in their lines from where a larger Black Knight forces could swarm in and steadily take their territory inch-by-inch. So far the enemies they faced were mainly Sutherland drones, heavy weapons infantry units, defensive installations, and occasional support vehicles; nothing the Black Knight's Akatsukis could handle. However, they knew the Darwinists would soon send in their real force to fend them off: ones composed of modern KMFs and whatever new toys they came up with.

The unmanned Sutherlands, while much lesser in capability compared to a 7th-gen MP unit and lousy melee units, was still a capable threat to their forces. Lacking a cockpit space which allowed it to dedicate all the space to AI unit, modern targetting system, larger storage space for power and munition; made the unit a dangerous threat in large numbers at long-ranges. The upgraded Gloucester IIs, Vincent Wards, Gareths, Brightons, and Vincent Commanders were the real deals that costed them many potential victories and casualties.

"Heh, is this the best they got! Ha, we'll be finished with today's mission no time." A Black Knight devicer taunted as he fired his bazooka at a retreating M49 APC.

"Don't get cocky, we're only dealing with their border guard forces." The devicer's partner reminded while slashing through a Sutherland Drone. "This is only their border garrison forces, we're going to be dea-." His words were cut off when a large hadron beam swept through the two KMFs and a dozen others near them, reducing them into melted scrap metals and explosions.

The BK vanguard force halted at seeing their forward unit obliterated by a hadron weaponary. Which was then followed by everal hadron spheres zooming out of nowhere, and blasted apart several flight-capable Akatsukis before their sensors could register it. While multiple VARIS rounds bombarded itself against the ground forces.

"What the heck is hitting us!?" Various cries of alarm and questions were thrown around in response to the sudden, heavy attack. They knew that wasn't a Gareth's hadron cannon, as the hadron attack seemed more comparable to the dreaded Stark Hadron Cannon used by the Mordred. An unsurprising fact as the Darwinist's territory held significant industrial base for their war effort.

The Black Knights soon got their answers in the form of shout from one of their devicers. "Two contacts approaching! Over dozens of kilometers out and arriving within visual range in few seconds…" The soldier looked closer to his screen and radar before screaming in shock, the cameras zooming in to show the two contacts. "It's the _Helios_ and the _Darwin_!"

All Black Knights looked up to the sky in shock and fear at their attackers' identity, well aware of their reputation and the likely fate waiting for all of them. They saw the two in all their glory hovering in the sky, looking down upon them as if they were insects.

The _Helios _was a experimental Vincent model, colored primarily in red with secondary yellow colors. Its right arm was replaced by the Helios hadron gun – its namesake – that could be fired in different modes depending on the target. Besides the hadron gun, it had a additional slash harken on its head, a machine gun mounted on its left arm, and a MVS knife sheathed at its torso. Overall the _Helios _was a powerful long-range unit capable of crippling a airship at its full power and wiping out entire battalions with one sweep of his hadron gun. More importantly, it was the personal unit of the leader of the Darwinist, Grand Duke Marcel de Montreal.

The second unit primarily coloured in light brown and purple was larger, a machine the Black Knight was familiar with as it was one of theirs formerly. The prototype IFX-V10C1 _Gekkoei_ or _Darwin _as it was renamed to after its capture by the Darwinist when undergoing field testing in Britannia. The _Darwin _was fully completed and modifed to become the personal command unit of Grandmaser Andrew Harson of the Knights of St. Darwin, equipped with the state-of-the-art weapons and technology.

The two were the flagship machines of the Darwinists, ones rightfully feared by the Black Knights.

"Open fire!" A BK officer yelled as all knightmares opened fired upon the enemy machines who swiftly dodged the attack and returned the gesture.

* * *

"Around a dozen Panzer-Hirsch and over 36 Akatsukis, what a unfair fight." Grand Duke Marcel chuckled. "They'll need more than that to bring the two of us down." The noble with a dark tan complexion gave a mocking smile speaking in a slight french accent.

"Agreed, let's show these elevens the might of Britannia, for they'll find nothing but their graves waiting for them. Du Motte, wipe them all." Grandmaster Harson ordered his co-pilot Commander Viscount Anton Du Motte to now attack.

"Yes, my lord." The lanky, stoic commander replied as he brought the _Darwin_'s left arm to fire the Super-VARIS, unleashing a barrage of high velocity green beam-like rounds at 3 flying KMF, blowing them up with no cockpits ejecting. The KMF then proceeded to dodge through enemy fire swiftly, despite its larger size, while potential fatal attacks were blocked by the KMF's Absolute Defence System controlled by the Grandmaster in his command seat, having the smarts and reaction time to generate them. A flight-capable Akatsuki struck from the _Darwin_'s flank with its katen yaibatou baton in hopes of landing a big blow, only for it to receive several finger harkens to its frame as the pilot ejected.

The _Helios _followed in with its own attack by firing a hadron beam at a Zikisan model, whose RW shields briefly responded to the attack before collapsing and allowing the hadron blast to engulf the command KMF. The modifed Vincent then flew to the side to avoid ground fire from a pair of Panzer-Hirsch aided by few Akatuski armed with bazookas. It responded back by firing several hadron spheres which destroyed most of its attackers though some managed to barely avoid it, which he finished them by landing on the ground and fired his slash harkens from the hips. The anchors shattered their mono-optic head, forcing the cockpits to eject, causing Marcel to aim his left-arm mounted machine guns and fire off a burst for each unit.

"How far do you think the core forces are, Lord Marcel?" Harson wondered outloud as he brought up a section of the ADS shield to block a RW rocket.

"Judging by the size of this vanguard force and my sensors, they might not be too far behind, about at least 10 minutes behind." The Grand Duke replied while spinning his landspinner across the ground making a mockery of his enemies' aiming skills.

"Enough time for the rest of our forces to join in." Harson's KMF violently threw a Panzer-Hirsch with its slash harkens at another KMF, reducing the two to mishappen scrap pile. "At least my knights will have plenty of fun soon."

"And as Knights of Darwin, they have high standard to prove their skills and worth of bearing such title." Marcel flew up and stabbed his MVS knife at an Akatuski's chest, destablishing its power core as Marcel moved away to see it explode. "Just make sure they don't go too overboard."

"Deny them their blood? Ha, we need to show the world we stand strong over those weakling daring to oppose us." Harson laughed as the _Darwin _summoned its Core Luminous blade and spun around to bisect several enemy KMF charging from multiple directions. "Especially those snievling UFN lap dogs!" He snarled.

"I wouldn't discount Neo-Britannia for now, and in the future if I'm correct." Marcel responded while firing his hadron gun at the few remaining BK forces retreating. "With what happened in the last few days."

"The Usurper's dogs at the eastern coast? Arguing and squabbling with one another as much as they fight the Black Knights and the Principality? You know there's a reason why majority of the Black Knights are fighting us right now."

Marcel responded back. "Yes, as of right now they are divided, but if they were to become united, then they would become the largest faction in this war. You remember the news spoken few days ago?"

"Ah yes, the UFN and the Principality's attempted assassination on neutral land against the Vi Britannia family, who have Australian citizenship." Harson replied reminded of the news. "Heard their grandmother was killed in the attack, and supposedly the Red Queen in coma."

The Grandmaster of the Knights of St. Darwin then made a puzzled expression. "Never expected such a brazen move from the Black Knights to send in a kill squad against a family who're officially foreign citizens, and on neutral soil."

"Hypocritical for the so called knights of justice Zero proclaimed his Black Knights to be." The Grand Duke expressed his disgust at the dishonourable action. "But unsurprising with the corruptions and other affairs happening within that rabble organisation and their thugs in the last decade and so, along with appointing the Mad Prince in as PM. Also did you heard of the riots happening from that news announcement?"

"Besides angering the Neo-Britannian cells into increasing their attacks. I'm very aware of the mass riots against the Principality and the Black Knights for the attempted harm of the sons of Lelouch. All of them brutally supressed by both forces led by the Cornelia Li Britannia and the pretenders who call themselves Knights of the Round." Harson spat in disgust at the last sentence.

"Yes, once loyal sons and daughters of Britannia selling out the dignity and future of our people to our oppressers, and allowing them to slowly kill our country into oblivion. They've shown their true colors by siding with the Archtraitor and the butcher of Pendragon, Schneizel El Britannia." Marcel snarled before calming himself. "But I'm diverging right now from the topic at hand."

Marcel went back to his original topic. "With the attack on their family and the UFN willing to ignore borders of neutral countries to get them, there won't be many safe havens for them to hide at." The Grand Duke feeling a surprising amount of pity for the children of the man who had his father killed when he rebelled. He wasn't fully comfortable in blaming the sons for the actions of their father, unlike the UFN. "When you take way nearly everything they have and corner them with little escape for a peaceful life, you end up leaving them very few options to take in order to survive. An option I fear will happen but the most likely outcome right now…" He finished with a grim expression.

"You don't mean–." Harson got onto what Marcel was implying.

"Yes, Neo-Britannia is going to get their princes soon. And if the sons are anything like their parents, I fear this war is going to be much difficult for us to overcome."

Grand Duke Marcel just knew the war was going to become more intense if his feelings and thoughts were correct. The bloody civil war to rebuild Britannia was about to reach its highest peak if Neo-Britannia was to fully unify behind one of Lelouch's sons. A great force fuelled by the righteous anger and hopes of the Britannian people, looking for a great figure to lead them to a future after enduring years of harsh conditions and humilation imposed upon them. With the Black Knights stretched thin and his own forces outnumbered by the other two factions, he knew they had to carefully make their move to secure their survival.

"In essence, the Black Knights laid the seeds of their defeat with that move."

* * *

**Near the Eastern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula**

Valentina Pelsy let out a war cry as she thrusted her MVS blade through the chest of a Glinda Knight Gloucester II, which she then pulled out and let it blow up. Looking to her right she saw several Glinda Knight Sutherland II charging at her with assult rifles and jousting lances, prompting her to her custom Vincent Ward reverse at full speed while zig-zagging to avoid the gunfire. The 20-year old blonde woman brought her KMF to move towards some large rocks and hill as cover while destroying few of the Sutherlands with her rifle, causing the remaining few to retreat.

Activating her factsphere her light-blue eyes could see on the screen of her group being attacked by Glinda Knight forces. A fight they were losing badly as around few hundred fighters of largely infantry, Mouse MTs, and some KMFs were going up against Principality's forces that outnumbered them 3 to 1. Even worse was that their leader Martin Kennedy was killed in the opening action, leaving her as the unofficial leader of the group.

It was supposed to be a simple meet up with some smugglers ferrying them some much needed supplies after their last big attack against the Principality's Yucatan Enclaves. The last few days were chaotic with constant ambushes and attacks they enacted after the news of the attempted assassination against Arthur and Naoto Vi Britannia, the twin sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia the Great Liberator. It invoked a great feeling of outrage among the various Neo-Britannian cells, all of whom promptly intensified their attacks on the accursed Black Knights and Principality. This was combined with sympathetic civilians rioting in favor of Neo-Britannia outraged at the Principality's actions.

It wasn't an open secret for everybody how vast majority of the people living within Principality territory hated their puppet government and their rulers; resulting in many spies and informants crawling around the territory in large numbers and levels of society sending in key information to either Neo-Britannia or the Darwinist. Along with recent events inflamed the anger with the attempted assassinations of Lelouch's sons, and the brutal crackdown on the rioters led by Cornelia Li Britannia using excessive force upon her own people. All of this only enflamed their conviction to fight on and to restore Britannia back to its rightful place in this world as Emperor Lelouch had done all those years ago.

Though right now Valentina supposed she might not be alive to see it if something wasn't done to secure them a victory today. Their meeting point somehow discovered or soldout to the Glinda Knights who sent in a battalion to deal with their group, turning a simple supply meet up into a large and death struggle. With the death of their leader and over several dozens of their members killed in the opening attack – largely technicans, medics, and officers – she was left leading her remaining disorganised comrades to fight a losing battle.

If this was to be her final moment then she'll make the best out of it.

Valentina fired her harken at a Sutherland II's chest where she proceded to throw it at a group of Glinda infantry, crushing their bones and organs into pieces. She then fired another harken that pierced through a low-flying VTOL before proceeding to spin around to dodge incoming enemy fire while returning the gunfire with her rifle. Using all of her KMF's strength she slammed the VTOL upon a group of infantry and engulfing them in a shower of sharpnels and fire. The custom Vincent Ward drew its MVS blade out to slice through the harkens of a Gloucester II wielding a EM lance, She then rushed full speed ahead while swiftly dodging the Glinda Gloucester II's gunfire before somersaulting over it and slashing down on the cockpit vertically, resulting in the knightmare to collapse forward lifelessly and her blade marked with blood.

She then heard a landspinner spin towards her direction and turned around to see a Sutherland II charging at her with its jousting lance, too close and fast for her to react to. However helps came in the form of a Mouse MT unleashing a barrage of heavy 25mm auto coilgun fire at KMF blown into several pieces as the cockpit ejected.

"Thanks, Yale, that was a close one." Valentina thanked her comrade, who simply gave her a grunt of anknowledgement.

"How's our group doing?" She asked him again via her COMs.

Yale responded back with a grim tone. "**_Bad, we only have less than 100 of us alive and fighting with five MTs and two knightmares left besides yours – a Sutherland and Vincent Ward._**"

The blonde could only grimace at the bad news. If the battle continues the way its for several more minutes then her group will be annihilated, even if they inflict heavy losses on the Glinda Knights; one can go so far against an overwhelming number of penal and conscript units. She didn't want to die like this today. She didn't want to die without making a difference in this war or at least die seeing Neo-Britannia unified and making steady gains.

"**_Crap, they've brought a Vincent commander and a squadron of Akatsukis!"_**

"**_What!? What the heck did we do to get them on our asses!?_**"

Valentina snapped her head to see the cameras and sensors showing a Glinda Vincent and over several Black Knight Akatsukis flying towards them in either float or glide wing units. She could feel her heart falter at the sight of them, knowing that her custom Vincent Ward and others wouldn't last anymore longer in this battle against higher-spec KMF like a Vincent or a Zikisan unit.

"Damn it, is this the end for us!? I can't die like this, I still have much to fight and live for! I can't fail everybody else right now! I can't fail my friends, family, and all our future!" Valentina slammed her fist on the console in despair.

"We need a miracle now… If only Emperor Lelouch was with us." She muttered trying to make herself feel some semblance of hope.

"**_Your wish will be granted._**" A unfamiliar voice broke through a radio getting her attention at the unknown voice.

Then she saw a familiar orange-red beam associated with radiant wave weaponry engulf through a entire squadron of Sutherlands, making them bubble and blow up in a matter of a second. The battle seemed to have stopped as all combatants paused to look at the brutal destructions of several Sutherlands, wondering who or what caused them to be killed by radiant weaponry.

"**_Feel the burning wrath of my loyal heart! For this is the first of many that will come to anyone who dares to stand between my Lord and the loyalty of Jeremiah Gottwald, the Knight of One!_**" The name, title, and voice froze everybody stone cold at the individual who had intervened in the battle.

Shock, joy, horror, and confusion spread through the battlefield as everybody slowly looked to the direction of where the radiant attack came from. Over a mile away from them were three customised knightmare frames standing before them: One was a customised Vincent Commander model in orange colors with large shields mounted on both arms, the second was also a Vincent Commander model but appearing to have arm-mounted BL shields and strangely covered in bright pink colors, and the final knightmare was a simple Vincent Ward colored in white with the symbol of Emperor Lelouch – a red eye – imprinted on its chest piece.

Valentina's mind froze at hearing Jeremiah Gottwald's name and voice on the speakers. She couldn't believe that the Knight of One who served under Emperor Lelouch was here to save her group, and apparantly serving under someone whom he addressed as his lord. Wondering why he was now entering the civil war, the woman looked at the white KMF's red eye symbol and Gottwald standing besides to its' right; along with recalling a certain news involving the sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia.

Her blue eyes suddenly enlarged in shock and let out a gasp of both disbelief and joy. She realised the implication of why Jeremiah Gottwald was here fighting, and why the particular Vincent Ward in white seem to draw her in. Tears gathered up in her eyes as she realised Neo-Britannia's greatest dream and future greatness had arrived.

"Welcome home your highness…" She whispered.


	6. Turn 4: First Blood

'_This is my moment._' Arthur thought to himself as sweat poured down his face, nervously gripping the controls of his personal Vincent Ward II. The battle he was about to intervene in was about to become his first taste of combat. No more simulation scenarios where death didn't mattered so he could practice over and over again with little consequences. This was real battle he was about enter.

One lucky hit and it's all over for him.

Despite practicing in a knightmare simulator and scoring a fairy high sync rate of over 80%. The eldest twin son of Lelouch felt he was going in unprepared and way out of his mind. Even with his aunt CC and uncle Jeremiah standing beside him, and working intensely to prepare him in matters such as Britannian politics, war doctrines, and strategy, he still felt unready for the task at hand as war in theory always differs from the harsh reality of the battlefield. But this was the result of everything that happened in the last several years of his and Naoto's life. This was the only path they had left in their life, the only future they could embrace in this world.

The twin sons of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia fighting to save their nation and avenge their murdered father. He found this phrase fitting as his very surname "vi Britannia" hearkened back to his homeland, as he was of Britannia, and that it was forever tied to him by blood. Yet he wondered whether his father would truly be proud of him for what he was doing. The way his mother always spoke of him cast him as a man who wanted peace, and an end to bloodshed which made him question the path he was undertaking.

But then his mind shifted to the image of his father's limp body falling down the parade float at his greatest moment of triumph. That image he saw in the old recordings was forever etched in his mind. He remembered the bloody and twisted remains of his grandmother, and the explosion which nearly killed him, Naoto, and his mother.

"Peace?" He spoke to himself. His father unified the world under him ending the millennia of wars between nations he was murdered for it. The Britannians desiring peace after years of war were made subject to humiliations and the hatred by the rest of the world. He, Naoto, his grandmother, and his mother all tried to live a quiet and peaceful life but they were nearly killed. Peace had brought them nothing but misery. He would choose the path of blood to avenge his family and reclaim his birthright restoring Britannia to its rightful place in the world.

But right now he had a battle to win.

"You in the Ward, are you the leader?" He asked the sky-blue coloured Vincent Ward.

"**Y-yeah.**" A female voice spoke through the COMMs.

"I'll give you set of coordinates for us to rendezvous, go it? Follow my lead and I will grant you victory." Arthur declared as he then switched communications to call his brother.

"Naoto, is the jamming working alright?"

"**It's working alright Arty! They won't able to call for help**." Naoto responded through the COMMs.

"Alright, that makes things better with no enemy reinforcement coming in." Arthur observed the screen showing enemy force's movements and their current locations.

"Uncle Jerry, aunt Claudia. I have a plan." Arthur privately announced to the Vincents around him before pushing his knightmare towards the enemy forces at full speed, taking out a assault rifle and activating one of the MVS sword.

Immediately, the Vincent Loyal and the pink Vincent Conquista followed too behind as their high-powered landspinners rolled them across the land at high speeds, quickly catching up and soon speeding ahead of the white Vincent Ward. Their respective weapons prepared for combat as the two KMF closes around the Ward protectively.

Recovering from their shock, multiple Glinda Knight Sutherlands quickly aimed and open fired upon the trio, who gracefully dodged the gunfire with ease as the 7th-gen MP machines were too fast and agile for the outdated 5th-gen units to target and hit.

In response the white Vincent Ward Mk2 opened fire against the Sutherland team with its 25mm coilgun assault rifle. Several Sutherlands exploded from the hailstorm of 25mm rounds piercing through their frames, while the rest tried to scatter and regroup; only for CC's Vincent Conquista to quickly charge in with its MVS swords as it out-manuevered the Glinda Knight KMFs to slash and stab their cockpits. It then brought up its BL shields to protect itself from bazooka rockets fired from a pair of bazooka-equipped Sutherlands. Seeing the Vincent Conquista under attack, Jeremiah launched his two hip slash harkens at the bazooka-equipped Sutherlands' head which disabled their camera and sensors, resulting in two cockpits ejecting from their useless frame.

Meanwhile, Arthur redirected his knightmare to link up with the Neo-Britannian cell who were gathering at a small clearing surrounded by palm trees. Arthur's camera and sensors showed less than 83 infantry with 4 mobile turrets and a Sutherland holding a bazooka that seen better days along with the custom Vincent Ward in sky-blue colors who he contacted few minutes ago. His camera zoomed in on the faces of the rag-tag fighters clad in whatever protective gear they could salvage and armed with left over military weapons. They didn't look quite professional but Arthur could see in their face they were harden by years of combat and experienced.

"Thank for meeting here. My uncle and aunt is currently distracting them but not for long, so I'll explain my plan quick and clear." Arthur said.

"What plan!?"

"Obviously defeating the a-holes attacking us, moron!" One of the soldiers berated his comrade.

"Who the heck are you to order us around? Why the heck is Jeremiah Gottwald here?" One of the MT drivers questioned. "… Wait uncle!?"

"All will be explained in due time after we win this battle." Arthur assured them as he explained them his plan to survive and win this battle. After that he ordered them to head for their position and wait for his next set of orders.

However before he could go, the sky-blue Vincent Ward's devicer spoke up. "**A-are you actually his highness?**" She spoke with apprehension and hope, eliciting whispers of shock and confusion from the others.

"No freakin way."

"I knew there was a reason Jeremiah Gottwald is here!"

"Can it be, the sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia is here!?"

Listening to the whispers through his audio system, Arthur couldn't help but feel something blooming within his chest. The whispers of hope and awe that the Neo-Britannia cell was showing drew out ot him. They waited for him, hoped that he would come to their aid in their darkest hour, and they didn't hate him for something he had no control over. Arthur felt more resolute in his endeavor for Neo-Britannia, more determined than ever before not to fail them. Those who were willing to fight for their country, their future for his father and his name…

"As I said, all will be revealed in no time soon." Arthur said. "Now get to your positions, we have a battle to win."

* * *

"Uncle Jerry, aunt Claudia. We're ready, you can lure them to us now!" Arthur called over their communications.

"Yes, your highness!" Jeremiah acknowledged as he formed his shield together to fire off a radiant beam that engulfed two Akatsuki flying above him. He then pushed his knightmare on reverse to the coordinates his lord gave to him.

"On it Arty." CC or Claudia replied using the nickname she had for Arthur as she reversed her knightmare frame. Not before she fired two harkens that clipped the 2 wings of a Akatsuki unit unusually equipped with a full chainsaw blade and a radiant rocket as it made a rough landing on the ground.

Seeing that the Vincent Loyal and the pink Vincent Conquista was retreating, the majority of the remaining Glinda Knight's Sutherlands and Gloucesters, along with reinforcements began chasing after them. Following behind them were the remaining few hundred or so infantry and some support vehicles.

The two Vincents continued luring the bulk of the forces after them, firing off occasional shots of either 25mm rounds, slash harkens, or some radiant beams – forcing some of the flying knightmares to go low just over the trees to avoid being easy picking up high.

So when the two modified Vincents passed by a small rocky hill/cliff and into the coastal forest. Then the sky-blue Vincent Ward suddenly appeared nearby out of the forest and accelerated at top-speed up the sloping rocky hill/cliff where it then fired its hip harkens at one of the Akatsukis, latching on its frame as the slash harkens brought the Ward towards the flailing KMF. And at the same time it fired its assault rifle at the last Akatsuki, the enemy pilot managing to dodge the round and returned fire with its arm-mounted 20mm coil autocannons. Valentina manoeuvred her KMF to avoid the rounds and pulled down on the wire to force the the latched Akatsuki to take several of the shots, which damaged the air glide unit and disabled its bazooka arm. By then the Vincent Ward was nearly infront of its latched victim where Valentina took advantage of the momentum of being pulled up and let go of her harkens so that her custom unit was on its upper body. She then brought down her MVS sword on the cockpit section, drawing blood on her sword as she brought it out. The damaged unit was now falling out of the sky with its devicer dead, but Valentina quickly fired her harkens again. But rather than at latching at the cliff, she targeted the last Akatsuki where the first harken smashed its head unit while the other pieced through the chest. She then flipped her machine over the damaged knightmare as her anchors pulled her up, landing on the cockpit and glide wing system as metal groaned and slightly crunched under her weight. She then thrusted her sword downward on the cockpit and pushed it slightly forward, which caused the damaged machine – combined with its new rider – to go downward. Just as the ground seemed to become bigger before her, she quickly jumped off the crippled machine seconds before it crash landed.

Meanwhile down below as the above was occurring; the militia fighters armed with heavy weapons concealed on the rocky hill/cliff peaked out with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and anti-KMF explosives peaked out of their cover and fired upon the Sutherlands and Gloucesters underneath them. Around several knightmare frames were utterly destroyed with multiple more crippled that their devicers decided to eject. Several Glinda KMF opened fire upon the rocky hill/cliff, forcing the heavy weapons team to duck for cover, but managed to achieve their part of the plan.

Then from the Glinda Knight's rear, the remaining mobile turrets and the bazooka-armed Sutherland along with the other infantry ambushed from the rear. Tearing through the unguarded formation on the infantry, some support vehicles, and handful of KMF in the open. The mobile turrets ruthlessly unleashed their 25mm coilgun autocannons upon the infantry units and KMFs, along with occasionally firing their grenade launchers at large infantry formations or vehicles or KMF. Reducing all of them into scrap metals and piles of organ and bones. While the bazooka Sutherland fired at the support vehicles and some KMFs, quickly making short work of them with its 120mm bazooka rockets. In several seconds over hundreds of Glinda Knights infantry and multiple vehicles or knightmares were destroyed.

Then the Vincent Conquista and the Vincent Loyal shot out of the forest for a second charge as they slammed into the remaining forces, shooting and slashing their way through the remaining enemy forces. The 5th-gen machines scattered to make themselves a less easier target while trying to use their numbers to gain a superiority advantage along with staying at long ranges. However that was also when Arthur and Valentina's Vincent Wards entered the chaos.

The first victim of Arthur's white Vincent Ward Mk2 was a Glinda Gloucester who tried to pierce him with its jousting lance, which Arthur's superior machine swerved to its left and slashed its power core with the MVS sword, causing the machine to blow up. A Glinda Sutherland with its stun tonfa out charged at Arthur while firing its slash harkens at him, forcing the white Vincent Ward Mk2 to dodge the anchors as it cut them off with its its blade; followed by Arthur charging straight at the Sutherland, slicing both its arm off and slamming the needle blazer at its chest, firing a burst of focused energy that destroyed the cockpit. The Vincent Ward Mk2 then somersaulted over the dead Sutherland just as two Sutherland fired upon his position with autocannons and GLs. While in the air Arthur blasted off one of the Sutherland's head with his rifle followed up by a GL shot to the torso that blew up the KMF, causing its partner to charge in enraged firing wildly when Arthur landed his KMF. Who fired his rifle at the Sutherland's own, destroying it and forcing it to deploy its stun tonfas. However, Arthur was faster as he pushed his machine forward and skid to the Sutherland's side where he quickly slashed its right arm off and was about to slash at the cockpit when another MVS blade sliced through it first.

Arthur looked to his side to see that the sky-blue Vincent Ward Mk1 used by Valentina had struck first. He watched in annoyance as she pulled her blade out and kicked the disabled machine to the ground. Behind her he saw several wreckages that were once Sutherlands and Gloucester, either on fire or barely intact.

"**Sorry, your highness, if I stoled this one from you.**" He heard Valentina apologise.

"It's okay, there's plenty of fishes in the wate–." Arthur had no time to finish when his sensor warned of a two enemy machines coming in fast.

Arthur turned around in time to block the upward slash attack from a blog-standard Akatsuki armed with a chainsaw blade, not the baton version MP models had, as the two were briefly engaged in a furious melee duel as both machines attempted to hack, slash and stab one another. The Vincent Ward Mk2 and the Akatsuki manoeuvring around to get a opening while dodging each other's attack, the latter machine showing some signs of struggling to keep up with the former. Arthur glanced to the side to see that Valentina barely managing to dodge a MVS lance thrust from the Glinda Vincent, which it then tried to slash at her but she counter-blocked it with her blade, causing the Vincent to be briefly stunned. Seeing a good opportunity, Valentina tried to bring up her rifle to riddle it with bullets to end it fast. However, the Glinda Vincent reacted faster by firing its hip harkens to destroy the gun and the left arm yielding it. Leaving Valentina's Vincent Ward with a single arm and a MVS blade.

However, Arthur couldn't watch the battle any further when the Akatsuki he was facing fired its slash harken at him, nearly taking the head unit off. Arthur then quickly backed his unit away from the Akatsuki while unleashing 25mm rounds from his rifle at the enemy machine, who zig-zagged away from the shots as Arthur followed through to land a clean hit. The Black Knight machine fired off one of its radiant rocket at him, but missed as the white Vincent Ward II ducked beneath the rocket. The Akatsuki fired the rocket again but Arthur managed to bring up his rifle and fire the grenade launcher at the rocket instinctively, the grenade shot blowing up the radiant warhead. Seeing that its foe was too close to fire up a rocket, the Akatsuki quickly charged in with its revolving blade sword for a killing strike with little time for Arthur to block in time without significant damage. Then suddenly the white Vincent Ward Mk2 fired its shoulder machine guns at the Akatsuki, forcing it to back away as Arthur fired his harkens at a large rock formation behind the enemy unit which dragged him towards it fast; he quickly reoriented his legs against the rock as it made contact and pushed against it to launch him in the air. The white Vincent Ward Mk2 spun around as it brought its MVS sword to land a heavy strike against the Akatsuki who struggled to hold against the attack. The blade lock struggle provided Arthur the opening he needed as he brought forth his free arm to slam its eblow against the chainsaw blade's flatside and fired the needle blazer against the weapon. The RBS shattered in half from the focused particle energy. The Akatsuki quickly retreated back as it fired its slash harken in desperation but Arthur parried it aside as he rolled forward for the killing blow. The Black Knight tried to fire its last radiant rocket at its incoming foe who got ever closer to him; but failed as the white KMF ripped the rocket from its arm hardpoint, rendering it nearly harmless. The Britannian KMF then slammed the radiant rocket on the area between the cockpit section and the head unit; slammed in a way that the cockpit would not able to eject. The radiant warhead activated from the impact and enveloped the Akatsuki in radiant energy, the metal frame bubbling in warped metal and eventually blowing up as it went critical.

Arthur turned around to see where Valentina and the Glinda Vincent was at to help her, but instead greeted with a beautiful sight before him.

He saw Valentina's Vincent Ward going toe-to-toe against the Glinda Vincent despite being in a inferior frame that's seen better days. Yet that fact didn't seem to stop her from evenly matched against the superior command model, which was technically faster than her frame but his camera showed that she was able to match it blow for blow. Whenever the Glinda Vincent tried to thrust or slash with its MVS lance, she would either dodge before it even reached her direction or parried it quick enough for her to strike back. She had pretty good reflexes and apparent skills to be on relative equal terms, no wonder she was surviving for so long against large number of enemy frames.

* * *

The Glinda Vincent jumped in the air over her, firing its slash harkens at her to cripple her frame. But Valentina's Vincent Ward dodged right at the last moment to avoid the worst damages, sadly one of her arm wasn't lucky as the harkens tore it apart. Rendering her damaged frame with one functional arm with a MVS sword left. The damaged Vincent Ward tried backing away in a hurry to get some distance and formulate a new plan to beat its foe with only one arm left. Yet, the Glinda Vincent sensed a moment of weakness and tried charging at her with its needle blazer ready.

That was when a pair of slash harkens slammed into one of its landspinners, nearly causing the Glinda Vincent to spin out of control to the ground. The Glinda Knight's advanced KMF looked back to see the white Vincent Ward variant rush towards it with its own needle blazer charged and ready to blast. When the enemy needle blazer ever got closer, the enemy machine managed to quickly turn around and activated its own needle blazer as the two devices nearly touched each other when the focused blast was fired. The result was two KMF briefly stunned and nearly knocked over from the shockwave of the confronting blast between two needle blazers. The Vincent Ward Mk2's newly tested devicer was trying to recover from the resulting shockwave that shook him hard in his seat; but the enemy Vincent before him managed to recover faster and brought forth its lance for a final thrust to the chest. That was when it heard the roaring sound of a landspinner rolling across the ground, causing it to barely half-turn around in time for two slash harkens from the one-armed Vincent Ward to smash its head unit and one to penetrate right through the cockpit.

The Glinda Vincent lifelessly fell over dead without a devicer to bring it to life. The white Vincent Ward Mk2 and the light-blue damaged Vincent Ward met up with each other near its corpse, a moment of silence between the two.

"Thanks for the save." Arthur thanked.

"**No, I should be thanking you for helping earlier.**" Valentina replied back anxiously.

"Val! There you are!"

"My lord, are you alright!?"

Both looked to see the remnants of Valentina's group, the orange Vincent Loyal, the pink Vincent Conquista, along with some prisoners of war coming over to their location. Arthur saw many of them were happy, confused, and relieved that they survived and won this battle, along with equal number of others mourning their losses. The prisoners' face were that of defeat and despair, with some looking at their captors with contempt, that the battle they should've won was turned into a bitter defeat. Arthur saw Valentina's cockpit open up to show herself as a beautiful blonde woman with a little bit spiky shoulder-length hair and blue eyes, who joined in the celebration and gave a brief smile to him.

Seeing all of this made Arthur realize that this was his first battle he ever fought in and the one he achieved victory in. And also the taste of the future he'll be walking into as he unites Neo-Britannia into a united front and wage war against the Black Knights, the Principality, and the Darwinists. And with everybody gathered near him, it was time to honor his deal and show himself to them. That their hopes has been answered and the prodigal son as returned to them.

He gave the signal for uncle Jeremiah and aunt CC/Claudia to show themselves to the group, their cockpits hissing in acknowledgement as it opened up for them to stand up from their seats. Standing on top of their KMF, Jeremiah Gottwald in his outfit he wore serving under his father with a proud smirk, while CC wore a fancy white jumpsuit and bore a stoic yet silent smile expression.

Murmurs of shock and related emotions reverated throughout the crowd as they lay witness to two famous individuals of Emperor Lelouch's personal entourage. The head of his Imperial Guard and Knight of One, and the mysterious green-haired adviser many had thought was his mistress or something. Many of them already guessed the probable identity of who lead them to victory. Then they heard the hissing sound coming from the white KMF. The world seemed to have stopped and their breaths taken away as the cockpit opened up and a black-haired individual stood up tall and defiant against the world.

A face one would've mistaken him to be Lelouch Vi Britannia himself, and also a familiar one sometimes seen on the news related to the twin sons of the 99th Emperor.

Everybody's jaw dropped in shock while some fainted at the sight of who was in front of them. Valentina Pelsy had the biggest smile on her face as tears of joy poured down her face as with several others, their hopes and dreams coming true after years of fighting. The true heir of the imperial throne returning from exile to lead Neo-Britannia to glory and bring forth a new future.

"Is it really him?"

"How can it not be him!? Jeremiah Gottwald and the adviser is here!"

"Oh my goodness, the son of Emperor Lelouch is here!"

"This changes everything, we finally have chance to win this war!"

"He's actually is here. Did God finally answered our prayers?"

The whispers began to grow in intensity as the Neo-Britannian soldiers couldn't contain their excited energy to see the heir of Emperor Lelouch before them, and what it meant for their cause. Like almost out of the Arthurian legends, Britannia's rightful ruler had returned to liberate them from puppet planted by the accursed UFN. Never did they thought they would see the day one of the sons of Lelouch return or that they would be the first to meet him and fight besides him. Meanwhile, the prisoners were in shock while some cried in horror at the Demon Emperor's spawn joining in the war.

Seeing that the whispers were going louder and needing to introduce himself, Arthur raised his forearm that indicated silence. Which to his internal amazement they went silent as if his entire look and royal aura was enough to command them.

"Yes, as you have seen and realised now. I am one of the twin sons of Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia: Arthur Vi Britannia, the crown prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the rightful ruler to my father." Arthur began as all eyes were glued to him. "For years my brother and I and our family sulked in the shadow, away from the prying eyes of the world, content in our exile and forgotten in the passage of time. I watched with great indignity and helplessness as Britannia torn apart and humiliated by the UFN, the dignity of her people and spirit trampled on and sold out by the traitors and the traitorous puppet ruler I am ashamed to call my aunt. To think that such humiliation would befall us then would have been illogical. After all we had won the war with my father Emperor Lelouch "the Great" finally doing what no man had ever done, and united all mankind under one banner which for thousands of years had been squabbling with each other. He had brought the world true peace, and for that, the terrorist Zero and his supposed "knights of justice" killed him and tried to destroy everything he had achieved!"

Arthur watched as the crowd of soldiers surrounding him all had looks of anger etched on their faces at the reminder of Britannia's humiliation.

"And now for decades, they spread their lies to the world, slandering my father Emperor Lelouch as the tyrannical Demon Emperor!

I guess their accusations do have some merit after all, as my father Emperor Lelouch was guilty of heinous crimes against the world. The crime of caring for his people! After all was it not Emperor Lelouch who ended the Darwinian system of oppression? Did he not liberate the numbers and afford them the common dignity they were owed as fellow human beings? Did he not crush the tyrannical aristocracy running roughshod over the common people? Did he not make all peoples within the Empire equal under the law? Did he not overthrow the monstrous tyrant Emperor Charles zi Britannia, a man whose trampled both his own people and the conquered in his lust for power?

My fellow Britannian do you not see what the UFN has done to us?! In the name of freedom they occupied our land, they broke up our Empire, and and impoverished our people through their forced reparations and sanctions. The terrorist Zero and his false-knights of injustice installed a puppet ruler on the throne who sits idly by as the nation languishes under the UFN's despotism. In the name of freedom they installed the arch-traitor Schniezel as Prime Minister. The man who obliterated the hallowed Imperial City of Pendragon, the beating heart of our Empire in his quest for power. In the name of that farce: democracy, they installed a Parliament claiming to represent the people. They are nothing but a group of feckless oligarchs who in their avarice rob the population blind with their extortionate tax system living lives of luxury while the average Britannian struggles to buy a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. This is exactly the same system of decadence and corruption that led to the Humiliation of Edinburgh where we were robbed of our ancestral homeland by that accursed Napoleon.

In order to further humiliate Britannia, they forced the denigration of our nation's rank and dignity to a mere Principality. A title lesser than that of Kingdom which we once were in the days before Napoleon's rise. Can you imagine a greater insult levied to the proud Britannian people? Of course our people understandably angered by the injustices levied against them, and the new hardships they faced, took to petitioning the government for redress. But instead of hearing its people's cry of anguish the Principality unleashed the monster Princess Cornelia li Britannia upon the people. A woman so ruthless as to mercilessly butcher her own people. That is of course to be expected of the sister of the massacre princess!

And in the Northeast, the remnants of the old High Nobility, the Darwinists have re-emerged seeking to arrest the progress we made reversing the clock to the days of Emperor Charles: an era where might made right. An age of strife where the nobles trampled the common man in accordance with their sick and twisted Social Darwinist philosophy. That shameful era in our history which Emperor Lelouch freed us from, produced the accursed arch-traitors Schneizel el Britannia and Cornelia li Britannia who massacre their own people in their avarice and quest for Britannia

Sons and daughters of Britannia! It is high time we show these barbarians and traitors their place! And so long as I am your Emperor, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to restore Britannia's pride. While the old Empire has fallen from the ashes like a phoenix, we will build a new Britannia shaped by the vision of my father Emperor Lelouch the Liberator! A new future shaped by the collective will of all Britannians rather than the old nobility, corrupt rabble politicians, or the accursed UFN!"

"**All Hail Britannia!**" Arthur roared raising his fist in the air.

All the Neo-Britannian forces around him gave the standard saluted or raised their fists or arms into the air, cheering him and Britannia on.

**"All Hail Lelouch! All Hail Arthur! All Hail Britannia!"**

**"All Hail Lelouch! All Hail Arthur! All Hail Britannia!"**

**"All Hail Lelouch! All Hail Arthur! All Hail Britannia!"**


	7. Turn 5: Broken Future

**2037 a.t.b, May 28th**

**Britannia, Duchy of Missouri, Kansas City,**

**Kansas City Hall**

Nunnally Vi Britannia stared outside of the window of her personal chamber within the makeshift headquarters which once was the the former Governor's mansion of Kansas City. Despite its elegant facades and designs, the palace complex didn't have much of a view as tall barriers and various fortifications had been erected to ward off any potential unwanted intruders such as spies, or assassins seeking to take out high-ranking officials. Just another reminder of how much the city has been transformed into a fortress because of the war.

It was a continuing reminder of how helpless and weak she was in preventing the chaos and destruction that had been brought about across her homeland. She had failed in bringing about the peaceful world that her big sister Euphie dreamed of, and that her selfless brother Lelouch had died for. It was all in vain and all she could do was watch helplessly as the world outsider burned as it was unable to let go of its hatred. Turmoil and conflicts still erupting across the seemly stable world that hid away the matters that showed otherwise. Everything her brother tried to create for the gentle world she once dreamt of falling part all around her, as if the world was mocking her dreams and reminding her that she pushed her brother to his fate. She cursed herself everyday for being naïve enough to believe Schniezel's lies, betraying Leouch who had always been there for her. Now he was dead and she was all alone in this cruel world.

She vividly remembered the day she ascended to the Britannian throne as the 100th Sovereign and Empress of Britannia after her brother's death. She tried to work out a lasting peace between Britannia and the rest of the world whom now rallied around the UFN. With the support of the new peace faction who sought an end to the constant wars of the Empire she engaged peace talks with the UFN backed by Zero and the remnants of Schniezel's and Lelouch's factions within the Imperial government. To show her commitment to peace, in an act of good faith, she began a process of de-militarization within the Empire, disbanding large battalions of troops who were recalled back to the mainland. Initially this was met with public approval as many people were weary of war, but catastrophe struck as many of the now returning soldiers found themselves without work. Worst of all, Britannia's vast military industrial complex which employed millions of people to fund its vast wars of conquest had ground to a halt. Without consistent military expansion, and without a large enough military, many business were hit hard by the resulting financial crisis which left many without work.

This act proved to be unwise later on when she came to negotiate with the UFN a year after her brother's death. She expected it the moment where they could have Britannia join the UFN and finalize peace between them; but she was proven brutally wrong when the UFN smelling blood in the water, seeing Britannia's weakened state and its disarmament program struck without mercy. Like vultures they picked at the corpse of the Empire, imposing harsh and unequal treaties. The Black Knights after all were out for blood and wanted vengeance and reparations for Britannia's sins under her brother and father. She had hoped for the Black Knights to disarm themselves as well in an attempt to de-escalate tensions, but the opposite happened with the Black Knights threatening war if their demands weren't met.

Backed into the corner by the outrageous demands and viciousness of the UFN and the Black Knights. Despite the advices of many of her former advisers, officials, and military leaders to rearm and rebuilt the military; she refused to rearm believing that nobody would be willing to suffer the cost of war again so soon. Now looking back, she saw her younger self as naïve, inexperianced, and still mourning – never stopping on the last – to realise her fatal mistake. Because with a weaken Britannia lacking strength to back its position, it left them vulnerable to the UFN's strong arming and the Black Knights who enforced those beyond reasonable punitive terms and economic sanctions. She had no choice but to accept the humiliating terms least Britannia was destroyed.

Nunnally couldn't exactly blame many of the BK for several of their behaviors considering what Britannia under her father had done to the world, but she couldn't accept their unjust attitude and action to the populations who had little connection with Britannia's imperialisim. Rather than negotiating over the relocation issue of Britannian citizens living at former Areas to make it a smooth matter; the Black Knights forcibly evicted all of them from their homes with little time for any preperations, not furthered helped by the many riots and violences erupted against Britannians in the freed countries. This led to a massive housing crisis as the Britannian mainland received many of their refugees arriving back to the homeland – carrying the things they could quickly pack and easily carry – without a plan and action to find them new homes and jobs, leaving majority of them in the streets or tent cities mockingly called Nunnally's Rags. The lack of housing in the homeland further exacerbated by the UFN forcing Britannia to be cut off from its outer territories and limited to its North America border, despite the protest of the territories that were intimately tied to Britannia for so long that they were more or less Britannian land rather than a colony. The loss of their core territories and the economic sanction – particularly sakuradite – lead to mass starvation among the population. And she was helpless to starve off the massive suffering, and no matter how much she tried pleading with the UFN to a compromise they sneered and dismissed her.

She was now nothing more than a puppet ruler acting as a figurehead, while the newly created parliament imposed by the UFN had all the powers in governing the diminished Principality of Britannia. She knew the parliament was filled with nothing but incompetent fools arguing over the pettiest of matters and enriching themselves, getting nothing done in their endless debates while the economic and social crisis worsen everyday. Such a sight and lack of work done was irritating that she wished a semblance of her father's rule over this chaos. The public was growing resentful of the parliament, seeing it as a mockery made against their very culture imposed by bunch of rabble-rouser politicans. Many of the youth born or growing up in hard times, former soldiers, and many others despised the current state of their home and their national humilation and the stomping of their dignity. Year by year she could only see from the distance of the growing anger against their puppet government and the ones they see as traitors.

The first nail in the coffin was the major public uproar when Schneizel was instated as the Prime Minister of Britannia despite being revealed to be the one who fired the FLEIJA at Pendragon, not her brother as the UFN or others claimed to be. The ensuring riots and unrest lasted for many months with considerable loss of life to both sides, pouring more fuel to the ever growing flames of rebellion.

The next nail in the coffin for Britannia was when the people began pouring into the streets of New Pendragon, desperately petitioning the Parliament and the elected "representatives" for redress and relief. She scoffed at thought of the so called representatives whose elections were all rigged by the UFN to get them in power. And as expected, the people's concerns were ignored provoking many to anger. Nunnally watched helplessly, being unable to personally intervene as she was kept within the palace by the Royal guard. Predictably the people in their hardship and famine, began looking toward the reigns of her brother and father more favorably as Britannia was ascendant then rather than being so unjustly humiliated as it was now.

Seeing that the unrest was getting out of hand, she tried to personally intervene. While she had known things were bad, she didn't know the full depth of the famine and the people's suffering. She had been unaware by her government who sought to use her as an ornamental figurehead for legitimacy. The people had grown to hate her as they perceived her as an uncaring and cruel ruler. The tensions finally boiled over when she had been made to give a speech at Parliament's insistence to try and calm the unruly crowds gathered round the Imperial Palace. But not long into her speech, murmurings of the words "traitor, backstabber, pretender, useless puppet" turned into full blown chants in the crowd. Then someone rushed the stage calling a liar. The memory was as clear as day in her head, and she vividly remembered the gunshot grazing past her cheek. At that moment she wished for death, as then she could have been with her big brother instead of being the helpless spectator to the subsequent chaos and bloodshed plaguing the nation right now

She was immediately taken back to safety by Zero as she saw everything collapse into a frenzy of blood and chaos when the guards under Cornelia's command opened fired upon the panicking crowd. All that was left in the end was hundreds of dead and wounded lying all over the streets of New Pendragon. The event drew massive outrage from the populace over the massacre of hundreds of Britannian citizens who were experiancing hunger, poverty, and etc. No one knew who gave the order to shoot upon the civilians but many blamed Cornelia as she was the sister of the massacre princess and the guards under her command; and as the people began pouring into the streets en masse, Cornelia's bloody reprisals and her attempts in brutally rooting out pro-Lelouch supporters and other dissenters against the government, poured gasoline on the fire. This led to the people becoming even angrier, turning to open rebellion and rioting in the streets. Leading to the final spark that begin the civil war when the upper leadership of the Principality celebrated the 14th anniversary of her brother's death. The Britannian populace outraged at the sight of such insulting display of their so called leaders celebrating Lelouch the Great Liberator's death and attended by many UFN and BK officials was the final straw. Vast majority of mainland Britannia began rebelling against the Principality, taking up arms and forming into various rebel groups. It was then the Darwinists from the northeastern lands popped up from their hiding place, gaining signifcant amount of former veterans and soldiers to fight under their banner along with control to the industrial areas located there; heavily boosting their small but advanced and well-equipped military force to take over considerable territory. While to the west were the loosely organised, but determined factions of Neo-Britannia outnumbering both the Principality and the Darwinists; using whatever military equipment they could steal, salvage, and restore to fighting conditions with the limited infrastructure divided between factions.

Thus began the start of the Great Britannian War of 2034 with no end in sight and deaths keep piling up every day. All three factions determined to win the war and decide the fate of Britannia and in turn the world. Who ever wins could change the course of history.

"Your majesty, her highness Zara is here to see you." Sayoko Shinozaki suddenly announced as she entered the Empress' chamber.

Nunnally gave a nod towards the middle-aged ninja maid who was one of her few remaining confidante she had left in her life. She stayed by her side as the Empress of the Principality of Britannia, helping her in times of need and guarding her against assassins – though many times the Empress felt she deserved only death. Overall, Sayoko was more or less family to her whose talent she felt wasted guarding her when she should've been better off staying with her nephews. But Sayoko felt compelled to honor her master's wish in guarding his sister.

The doors opened up again to let a pink-haired teenage girl enter the chamber dressed in a imperial purple sheath dress. Her face resembling a cross between her mother and deceased aunt, along with traces of her father's eyes. Overall, she looked like a mix of Euphemia and a younger version of Cornelia, but sharing the kindess of the former.

"Good afternoon aunt Nunnally!" Zara Li Britannia, 1st Princess of the Principality of Britannia and Nunnally's 'official' heir, smiled at her while waving her hand.

Nunnally returned the smile as she returned the greeting. "Good afternoon to you Zara, what brings my niece at this moment of time here? Shouldn't be at your lesson?"

The daughter of Cornelia Li Britannia and Gilbert Guliford fidgeted, looking at her feet. "I just skipped the lesson to meet you." She admitted. "The lessons are so tedious that I felt like going to sleep from all the words the tutor was babbling on about." Then her face frowned. "Also I could hear from my room mother was angry again." She whispered.

Nunnally nodded in understanding at what she was talking about: The military operation against the Darwinists some days ago was a pyrrhic victory with both heavy losses and partial gains between both factions. Neo-Britannian cells tripling their attacks, along with sabotages and bombings of several Prinicpality and BK personal and locations. And also dealing with the fallout of the disaster in Australia concerning the attempted assassination of Lelouch's twin sons, her blood nephews.

The sister of Lelouch Vi Britannia gripped her fist tight at the memories of the horrific event. All those years ago when she first the heard news regarding the twin sons her brother apparantly sired with Kallen, she was elated that a part of her brother was alive along with having nephews. But it morphed to despair when she realised and witness the hate and contempt her nephew and Kallen received from the very people she fought for. More so that they had to flee to Australia and remain there for the rest of their life.

She couldn't make contact or do anything further for her nephews as the UFN was keeping a close eye on her. The only thing she could do was making sure they were safe in Australia. Rejecting any plead to assassinate the demon spawns from her advisers and other officials to secure her position on the throne. If she could've got away with it, she would've declared herself regent to the throne and hand it to Arthur or Naoto when they grew up. It was still heart breaking she couldn't even make a single contact with her brother's twin sons and sister-in-law.

"Aunt Nunnally, is something wrong?" Zara asked in confusion.

Nunnally blinked out of her thought. "It's nothing…"

"Rrright." Zara was unconvinced by her aunt. "You were zoning out there for a moment, what were you thinking about?" Her eyes seemly drilling into her aunt's mind.

Knowing she wouldn't easily get out of this, she let out a sigh before responding. "Your cousins, my nephews."

"Demon Emperor's sons!?" Zara blinked in surprise, causing Nunnally to flinch in anger and sadness from the title.

"I wish I could meet them and possibly introduce them to you." Nunnally confessed to one of her deepest wish.

"Well aunt Nunnally, I do admit I'm curious of meeting them and what they're like." Zara admitted. "I keep hearing insults thrown at them and that they should've died at the house few days ago like their father or put down much earlier. But I can't find myself hating them since… Well, what did they do wrong?" She whispered in confusion. For her it was so wrong for hating children for the sins of their father. Children who were born from a clean state burdened with something they had no control over? It was disturbing to see many people condemning innocent children for something they had no control over.

Zara's words brought a small smile to Nunnally's face that her niece wasn't going to judge her cousins on the words of those filled with blind hate. There were so much hate that how could peace ever come from her brother's death? Peace that could've come much easier if he didn't embarked on his plan.

Brother, why did you have to do this?

Brother, forgive your impotent and useless sister.


	8. Tech File 1

**Sorry folks this isn't an update but one of the coming tech files for the story. **

**And listing out what machines and tech is in the story.**

* * *

**RPI-212C Vincent Conquista**

\- Upgraded Vincent Commanders with BL shields mounted on arms. And a bit bulkier and angular, along with being more energy efficient.

\- Optional dual MG on shoulder section.

\- CC's model is slightly boosted to match her level.

* * *

**RPI-212B/M2 Vincent Ward Mk II**

\- Upgraded Vincent Ward mainly used by the Darwinists, improving its performance marginally and the first example of lesser usage of sakuradite. Along with better weaponry to its predecessor

\- Stun Tonfa replaced with Needle Blazers

* * *

**RPI-V4N Gareth Mk II**

\- Upgraded Gareth with a more streamlined interior and energy efficient power plant leading to improved combat and endurance capability.

\- Hadron cannons improved with less energy wastage, faster recharge rate, and overall less power consumption.

\- Updated float system which has the option be removed from the unit, along with being faster and agile.

* * *

**Vincent Loyal - Knight of One's personal KMF**

\- Jeremiah's personal modified Vincent KMF Colored in purple and orange with sleek armor plating and large BL shields - able to fold and form a radiant wave emitter, and equipped with 2x MVS swords.

\- Equipped with a combat support unit similar to the Sutherland Sieg but much smaller: 2x heavy railgun, 2x missile pods, 2x large slash harken, 5x small slash harkens.

* * *

**RPI-212X/H Helios**

\- Experimental Vincent model

\- Personal unit of Grand Duke Marcel

\- Right armed mounted Helios Hadron Gun which has multiple settings.

\- Based on unoservix's RPI-212X-R Athena from Deviantart.

* * *

**IFX-V10C1 Gekkoei modified and renamed to Darwin**

\- Personal command unit of Grand Master Andrew Harson, co-piloted by Commander Du Motte.

\- Colored in primarily light brown and secondary purple colors

\- Completed with legs and weapons systems: Absolute Defence System; 10x finger harkens; Shoulder-mounted Baryon Cannons; Core Luminous blades; Druid system; 2x Super-VARIS.

* * *

**MT-1 Mouse Mobile Turrets (resembles TK-56 Tekkadan Mobile Worker but with KMF cockpit occupying the original cockpit space)**

\- 3x Landspinner equipped compact, highly maneuverable 1-man attack vehicle with various weapons modules.

\- Created as a makeshift, compact pseudo-KMF.

\- Used in fire support, urban combat, heavy assault, infantry support, transport (flatbed variant).

\- Standard Armament: 2x 25mm coilgun autocannons, 2x rocket pods, 1x slash harken,

_Variant_:

MT-1A/FS Fire Support: 2x missile launchers

MT-1A/HA Heavy Attack: 2x 20mm gatling gun, 2x 90mm cannon

MT-1T = transport variant with a flatbed on back

MT-1U: Unmanned drone variant


	9. Omake 1: C's World part I

_**Haven't got the next chapter ready but I have a simple omake ready to read here!**_

* * *

"**All Hail Lelouch! All Hail Arthur! All Hail Britannia!**" Neo-Britannian soldiers were heard cheering for Arthur Vi Britannia and a coming of a new era of Britannian history.

The looping cheers could be heard loud and clear among the audiences watching the scene in question from C's World. Those watching were mixture of Britannians and Japanese of various social ranks and background.

"So much for your grand finale, my wayward son." Charles Zi Britannia gave a amused smrik towards his twitching son. "And the greatest irony mankind has ever known in its existance."

"Oh this is hilarious!" The child form of VV and Marianne laughing on the ground at the great irony happening before his eyes. Their laughter echoing throughout the infinite vastness of C's World, one that was joined in by several laughters erupting from members of the Imperial family.

Lelouch's eyes simply stared at the scene happening before him. His son briefly stunned by the cheers he was receiving before fully embracing it. It was looking at a mirror, his son who so errily resembled him at the age he died at, yet having a different aura to it. This was not how things supposed to be, there was supposed to be a unification of the world and peace from this death!? His death was supposed to create the peaceful world Nunnally dreamt of, not this chaos! Those damn fools ruined it all!

… And he left behind a cruel world to his sons and Kallen, who was exiled from her own country she sacrificed much for to Australia to live the rest of their lives there. Setting a single foot outside of Australia a death sentence for the twins.

"Well brother, it seems your death ended up being meaningless." Clovis La Britannia smirked with amusement. "I do have to admit the great comedy in seeing your own flesh and bloods seeking to dethrone Nunnally and rebuild Britannia, along with tearing down those rabbles."

"Lelouch, doing Zero Requiem was irresponsible of you! You left Nunnally behind and your family and friends. Why did you threw the chance of changing things for the world as Emperor? As much as I understand one of the reason for doing so, that wasn't the best way of redeeming yourself nor something I wanted for you to suffer for." Euphemia tearfully scolded her brother. "And now your sons are going to war because of this entire mess for their right to live."

Shirley looked at him in concern at the possible bloodshed that will come soon and the coming possible tragedies. "I only hope your sons come out of this alright Lulu, along with Nunnally."

"Wonderful, my nephews are aiming to restore Britannia and hate Japan with all their heart." Naoto Kozuki muttered in frustration as seeing his sister's sons starting their quest to reclaim their throne, while giving a glare at Lelouch for impregnating Kallen.

"Oh my little mames, I'm so sorry I left you'll like this. Forgive your grandmother." Naho Kozuki mourned in sadness, able to see the despair and rage within her grandsons' heart against the world who wronged them and took her away from them. She was even more sadden when she saw Arthur directly participating in the war and took away people's lives.

James Stadtfeld and Naoto Kozuki simply put their hands on her shoulder to reassure and comfort her.

"Ohhh that's my grandson alright! Hmmm I see he's like his mother and me in knightmare fighting, I see a bright future ahead of him." Marianne praised Arthur. "Though Naoto, he's not obviously like me or his mother but I can see the intelligence in his eyes… So he still has potential rather than becoming a disappointment." She remarked.

This got Lelouch's attention as he seethed at his mother. "Shut up, mother."

"Don't talk to your mother like that, boy." Charles glared at his son.

"Both of you already lost the privilege of being my parents or even worthy of being one in the first place." Lelouch retorted as Marianne then noticed a key detail on the screen.

"Ohhhhh look at here, Lelouch. Looks like your son has his first crush~." Marianne spoke in a sing-along voice at seeing Arthur staring at Valentina while celebrating. "Isn't that sweet? He's like Charles and you in seeking out the best woman, not to mention she's like that Kallen girl. Imagine the great-grandbabies Charles~!"


	10. Turn 6: Onward

**Here's the new chapter update!**

* * *

_"If you ever told me that I would be one of the first people to fight alongside his majesty and be recruited by him, I would've told you to get your head check."_

_\- Guardsman Kelly Niles of the Imperial Guard_

_"No, no, no, no! It can't be him… The demonspawn!"_

_\- Unknown Traumatised Principality Prisoner_

_"Holy crap, I just won my first battle."_

_\- Arthur Vi Britannia_

**2037 a.t.b, May 28th**

**12:37 PM**

**Southern Mexico, on-route to Duchy of California**

Naoto yawned as he stared outside of the bridge window of the modified G1 MCV code named "Blue Base" that was their temporarily mobile HQ and home, currently making their way towards the Duchy of Arizona. He looked at the handful of people manning the consoles of the G1's bridge, making sure the massive vehicle was functional and going on the right track to their destination. For now they were staying afar from major cities and towns in the Duchy of Mexico to keep their presence low. The stealth system was doing a great job of concealing them so far from the Neo-Britannian cell(s) guarding those areas.

They didn't needed to have their arrival spoiled too fast and done at the wrong time. Their current plan required careful planning regarding the unification of Neo-Britannia.

Those in the bridge were part of Lloyd's private research group or volunteers from the Columbian state to help the Vi Britannia twins' quest in reclaiming their birth right. Their assignment was manning the modified G1 base and the handful of KMFs stored within it, along with setting up the foundation of a unified Neo-Britannia army. It was surprising how much preparation was made for them and the level of covert support they were going to receive. Apparently besides the orange farm, uncle Jerry and sister Anya and aunt C.C/Claudia was rather busy for that future possibility.

It made him wonder how much the former Britannians territories were preparing for this moment of their arrival. Uncle Jerry and Lloyd seem to imply that several territories were either secretly backing them to a degree to ensure their success or watching from the side-lines to see if they're successful in the civil war to throw their support behind them.

He then felt a hand tap on his left shoulder. "Hey Naoto, it's lunch time."

Naoto turned around to see the source of the kind voice in the form of a 16-year old teenage girl dressed in an old Camelot Engineering Corps' uniform. Her dark blue eyes and hair, along with her heart-shaped face blurring the line between cute and beauty.

She was Layla Croomy, daughter of Cecile Croomy and prodigy engineer under Lloyd Asplund's apprenticeship. She was currently holding a tray with several sandwiches on it while giving him a gentle smile.

"Thank you Layla." The red-haired prince thanked the blue-haired girl before grabbing a sandwich as Layla continued on to hand out the rest of the lunch to the dutiful bridge crew before returning back to Naoto.

"Hey Naoto, after you're done with the sandwich. Could you come down to the hanger because Arthur needs your assistance on how we should proceed with the next phase of the plan." She asked the 2nd prince who just finished his sandwich.

"Ah, never mind." Layla said.

Naoto wiped out the crumbs off his mouth and spoke. "So Arty needs my help huh, about time he asked for it again as usual." He smiled, causing Layla to blush slightly as both of them exited the command bridge together.

* * *

Valentina Pelsy sat against the foot of the Vincent Conquista unit she was given as a replacement for her damaged Vincent Ward. Her personal custom model was too damaged on the outside to continue active combat duty despite several of internal systems still salvageable. The mechanics told her that the model was likely to be scrapped for spare parts or converted into a Mk2 unit. As much as she wanted to salvage her customised Ward back into combat duty, she knew her former machine was too damaged and slowly falling apart to see its glory days again.

Nevertheless, the RPI-212C Vincent Conquista was a impressive machine to behold. Looking at the 10th-gen KMF and the manual she was currently reading through, the machine was a major upgrade to the Vincent Commander: internal systems refurbished to ensure better energy efficiency and less reliance on sakuradite using some sort of substitute that gave a little bit of bulky and angular look to the machine; improved armor plating using denser yet lighter materials; simplified Blaze Luminous shields mounted on the arms replacing the needle blazers like the Darwinist's Sutherland II; improved sync-link in the cockpit to ensure better response controls with the machine; and an overall improvements to the joints and landspinners to boost the machine's performance with little energy cost as possible.

And now this machine was for her to use in future battles. The Vincent Conquista was a huge improvement to her former custom Ward unit and one that would allow her to take on 7th-gen MP units on better odds and command units on equal ground. Moreover, his highness entrusted this machine to her so she could use it to its maximum potential and one that was appropriate of her skill level…

She could remember the day Arthur Vi Britannia handed her the Vincent Conquista to her.

* * *

_"W-wait this machine is mine, your majesty!?" Valentina muttered in disbelief._

_"Yes Valentina, the spare Conquista is yours." The prince said to the blonde, bit confused at her reaction._

_"Thank you, your majesty. But wouldn't the machine be better for you? Wouldn't its power serve and protect you better rather than giving it to me?"_

_"As much as I want to get my own Conquista model, we have to make do with the current quantity we have for now. You're more experienced and better than me in knightmare combat since I just started piloting a KMF." The rightful emperor of Britannia said. "And besides, you fought a top-of-the-line command/ace model with a damaged mass-production unit on near equal terms. You don't get to see that kind of awesome piloting in most devicers unless you're an ace devicer. Which you're definitely are." Arthur complimented her with a smile._

_"Also, please call me Arthur when we're alone."_

_Valentina's face blushed red at the compliment from the prince as he continued on. "Uncle Jerry and aunt C.C also said your skill in your Vincent Ward was impressive despite the condition it was in, saying that was Knight of Round material there. So we agreed that the spare Vincent Conquista we have would be best used by you rather than gathering dust." _

_"Lord Gottwald and Lady C.C said that?" Valentina questioned, unsure how to feel of the praise she just received from the two of the most famous figure of Emperor Lelouch's retinues._

_"I trust their judgement and seeing how you fought there, I'd be an idiot to disagree with it." Arthur told her as he pointed to the nearby KMF simulation. "Why don't we try out the simulation to get you started with the Conquista?" He suggested._

_"Yes your majes – I mean Arthur."_

* * *

92% synch-rate…

That was the score she got in the simulation for the Vincent Conquista and the limited time she had in taking it outside for a short field run. Controlling the command ace frame was much different than using a simple mass-production unit; the man-machine interface more responsive to how she wanted to move it and what actions to take. It's mobility and raw power greater than her old Vincent Ward that she felt could've taken out entire squadrons of Vincent Wards or Akatsuki on her own with ease. If she had this before then the Vincent Commander she fought would've been dismantled in several seconds or so. She didn't got the chance to use the Blaze Luminous shields to test how strong it was in live combat, but she had a feeling that chance would come soon.

She truly honoured that his majesty would entrusted her with the command/ace frame they currently had for now. Even if it wasn't an ace custom unit like the Lancelot or the Guren, it was great enough for her in whatever future battles she has to fight for Neo-Britannia. Fighting to reclaim Britannia from the grasps of the traitors who ran their country to the ground and let it endure great humiliation and suffering; Fighting to lead Britannia to a new future freed from the chains of the dark past that twisted human decency the Darwinists wish to reimpose. And end this age of suffering so that no innocents has to suffer for the crimes of their forefathers and punished for something they had no control over.

Valentina gripped her fist tightly as memories of her past rose back again from the back of her mind. The times she wanted to both forget yet hold onto dearly, even if she could faintly remember them. When she still had a semblance of family left in her life until she was left all alone.

_"I'm sorry but this is what I could get for all of you today." Her mother sighed as he handed out the plates with the food they could get._

_"Mommy, please tell us a story!" She and her sister begged to their amused mother in their bedroom._

_"Why are we kicked out of our home!?"_

_"Come on sis, let's head to the rally!"_

_"No, no, no, no, no! Mom! Please don't leave us, don't leave us!"_

_"Sister… Don't play dead with me, it's not funny…"_

"Hey Val, here's lunch!" Tyler Yales called, interrupting her memory trip as the man in his late 20s approached her with two sandwiches.

"Thanks Yale." She thanked her comrade, taking the sandwich and started eating it.

"No problem, we need our star player at the top of her game. Now that things are going to get bigger." Yale gestured to the vehicle they were inside.

"Yeah, who knew we were going to be the first ones to meet the princes. More so that we were rescued by them." Valentina remarked, chewing another piece.

"Thought we were goners on that day…" Yale muttered as he and Valentina reflected on the dead members who couldn't live to see his moment of history.

He then looked at the Vincent Conquista, whistling at the sight of the 10th-gen command/ace unit. "That's a sweet looking knightmare, a Vincent commander or something similar to that right? My goodness that's quite the upgrade compared to that rusted Vincent Ward you used."

"His majesty gave it to me." She answered.

Yale raised an eyebrow at answer before smirking. "Lucky girl."

Valentina Pelsy rolled her eyes. "He said that I needed a machine worthy of my skills."

He shrugged before continuing "So what do you think of the princes so far?"

Both individual's' mind went to the sons of Emperor Lelouch… Arthur and Naoto Vi Britannia. The rightful emperor and crown prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. The individuals they were awaiting for a long time to bring about a new age and finally lead Neo-Britannia to victory.

"They're rather… Normal I guess?" Valentina spoke with some uncertainty as she looked at Arthur Vi Britannia sitting on the floor criss-cross position, eating his lunch while reading a book near his custom KMF.

Looking at him, she couldn't help but see Emperor Lelouch in his place despite Arthur Vi Britannia having some differences in facial features like shape and other minor details. He shared this father's purple eyes, but was lighter in tone and lacked the regal confidence or the cold, calculating brutality occasionally seen in his father. He and his brother spoke English with an odd accent, notably some usage of mate, which she thought about it wasn't too surprising as they lived in Australia. She had to admit there was a certain charm to it as it made him more unique, giving him bit of wild side to him; along with a more mystical aura around him. Their future ruler who arose from his exile to lead his people to new age.

"I can agree with that Val, though I suppose living as commoners in Australia would do that. At least it's better than growing up surrounded by a bunch of snobbish nobles or bunch of corrupt psychos" Yale remarked.

"Though his speech after the Battle of the Yucatan sounded just like Emperor Lelouch's old speeches." He added in, remembering his highness channelling the same aura full of power and conviction as if he was his father reborn.

He just hoped Emperor Arthur would be able to avoid the fate his father suffered at Zero's hand. He remembered when he was around 7 years old watching the live footage of Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia assassinated in front of the entire world by Zero who mysteriously appeared in front of his victory parade. That moment he couldn't forget with the blade stabbing through their emperor and the blood that was spilled. And the moment where everything went downhill for Britannia and her children.

Then the two noticed the smaller door of the modified, enlarged hanger opening to reveal a red-haired and blue-haired teenagers entering the hanger room. Valentina and Tyler recognised them as Naoto Vi Britannia and Layla Croomy. The former as the twin (introverted) brother of Arthur and the latter as Cecile Croomy's daughter. Additionally, the larger doors of the hanger leading to the launch catapult opened up to allow the _Vincent Loyal_ and the pink Vincent Conquista to return to the heavily-modified G1 MCV named_ Blue Base_. The two knightmares moved to their own docking stations, powering down as their respective devicers exited their personal steed as technicians soon swarmed the two machines to conduct routine checks upon it.

Arthur Vi Britannia stopped what he was doing and rose up to greet the four. "Uncle Jeremiah, aunt C.C, Naoto, Layla. You're right on time!" He then motioned the four to follow him before pausing to stare Valentina right in the eye.

"Valentina, I want you and your 2nd-in-command to join us." Arthur both asked and commanded her. The order surprising her and Tyler briefly before they quickly followed them, not wanting to disobey their Emperor or missing out whatever plan he had for the future.

* * *

"Colonel Croomy, how goes the preparation with the knightmare frames?" Arthur asked Cecile Croomy, the current commanding officer of the men and women manning _Blue Base_.

"The Vincent Loyal and the Vincent Conquistas are operating at 100% performance, your majesty. The data we're receiving from them so far is promising, especially the simplified blaze luminous shields. I've already transmitted the data to Lloyd and the research groups back at South America to help speed up the various projects we're working on." The middle-aged purple-haired woman reported to the Emperor. "Furthermore, the Vincent Ward Mk2s, Gareth Mk2s, and the Sutherland Cannon are ready for deployment. And thanks to the battle we fought several days ago, we have additional supply of parts combined with our current stocks."

"Thank you, Colonel Croomy." Arthur then asked Cecile's daughter. "Layla, how's your project going so far?"

"Still on the prototype stage, but I estimate it will take about few weeks from now to get the first prototype units ready for field testing, you majesty." Layla reported, her voice similar yet different to that of her mother.

Arthur nodded in approval and turned to look at Jeremiah. "Uncle Jeremiah, anything to report in your recon?"

Jeremiah answered the question with a shake of his head sideways. "Nothing unusual, my Lord. Nearby cells are staying close to their base and protecting their respective cities and towns."

"Naoto, how long until we arrive at the Pendragon Crater?" Arthur turned to ask Naoto.

"Going at our current speed, it will take at least several days for us to arrive." Naoto said to his brother. "Provided that we don't suffer any delays."

Arthur nodded at his twin brother and looked at Valentina. "Valentina, how's your cell group doing so far?"

Valentina stood stiff and gave a military salute. "The _Excalibur's Flame_ is ready to fight under your command once more, your majesty. My group has rested fully or finished recovering from their wounds."

"Good to hear, also apologies if your group finds the current accommodations rather limiting…" Arthur apologized to her.

"No need to apologize your majesty. We've slept in worse places before."

"Anyway, what can you and Yales tell me so far about the key Neo-Britannia cells?" Arthur asked Valentina.

The blonde responded immediately. "There are at least around 30 cells within Britannia, several notable groups I know due to their size, fame, or power. _The White Phoenix, Shields of Britannia, Devil Dogs, Merry Daggers, Order of St. Michael, Nevada Home Guard, Sons of St. George_, and few others."

"And many of them have trouble cooperating with one another or internal disagreements preventing all the cells from cooperating effectively as one. We have the numbers to outnumber both the Principality and the Darwinists, but we're squandering out one of our key advantages." Yales added in with a frustrated tone.

"Something that will change soon with our arrival." Naoto pointed out. "But, I have a feeling it would take time and effort in getting them cohesive. Nevertheless dealing with potential dissidents."

"Vast majority of them are loyal to the cause and your majesty, aside from bandits or petty warlords who falsely take the title. They will follow your orders when you show yourself, your brother, Lady C.C, and Lord Jeremiah. Though I do admit on the possibility of some refusing your authority." Valentina admitted.

"Others would try to take advantage of your age and inexperience to make you the figurehead or for their own desire." C.C pointed out from the corner, making Jeremiah Gottwald growl at that thought.

"Then let these fools try if they think they can feign their loyalty to take advantage of his highness!" Gottwald slammed his fist on the table, slightly shaking it.

"We can worry about that later uncle Jerry. But for now let's focus on gathering and unifying Neo-Britannia under one banner." Arthur said as he stood up. "Until Neo-Britannia is unified under the rightful heir of the imperial throne, rebuilding its infrastructure, and reforging its military power to that the Black Knights would fall before our might. We would not be able to show our full power to the world that we will not bow down to their worthless words." Arthur started as he brought his fists in front of him near his chest as he clenched in righteous anger. "We would not able to show the dreams of Neo-Britannia isn't dead or that our dreams of a better future will not be denied to us! We will reclaim our place back in the world and humble those who brought about the great humiliation! We will defeat the traitors of the Principality and the delusional fools who follow my grandfather's senility and the invaders desecrating Britannian soil with their presence… Our promise this, Zero and his false knight of justice will bow before being crushed into dust."


	11. Turn 7: Gather Together

_"Finally, a gathering that actually led to something."_

_\- The Memoirs of Charmalle Finlay, 2058 ATB_

_"What do you mean the building is closed!?"_

_\- UFN Official at Embassy building in Sydney, Australia circa 2037. _

* * *

**2037 ATB, June 4th**

**Pendragon Crater, Duchy of Arizona, Britannia**

**07:58 AM**

_Blue Base_ stood still on the dry plains of northern regions of the Duchy of Arizona. The large modified G1 MCV was parked not too far away from the massive 100km wide crater – now a small lake – where the former capital city of Pendragon once stood upon. The shining heart of the Holy Britannian Empire and the centre of Charles Zi Britannia's ruthless reign wiped away clean by a FLEIJA warhead. Over 30 millions souls ranging from the poorest commoners of the city to the members of the Imperial family annihilated from existence in a blink of an eye; and leaving behind a massive crater as if the city never existed there in the first place. The horrific result of Schneizel El Britannia, the Mad Prince, who murdered countless millions in the city with the Sky Fortress Damocles.

And commemorating the tragic event was a makeshift memorial made from a decommissioned Vincent Ward dedicated to the people of Pendragon city. Countless photos, letters, and memorabilia could be seen stuck and surrounding the knightmare frame, a machine of war ironically turned into a memorial for the dead. For the survivors of the city, close friends, and family members of the deceased to remember and honour those who died that day. The memorial symbolizing why Neo-Britannia continues to fight in the Great Britannian Civil War, and also a neutral ground for different cell groups to meet together for whatever reasons.

It was the perfect place to gather most of the major and minor cells of Neo-Britannia together to reveal the sons of Lelouch and the rightful heir to the Imperial throne. Thus, Neo-Britannia finally unified under the banner of the son of Lelouch Vi Britannia and fighting together as one to restore their country from its chaotic state. And the creation of a new future for Britannia, marching onward to a new tomorrow under the leadership of his Emperor. Like his father before him, Arthur Vi Britannia would bring about great changes not only to Britannia but the entire globe.

At least that was what Jeremiah Gottwald, the Knight of One, could do for both his former and present Lords. He wished to make up for his failures in blindly serving His Majesty, Emperor Lelouch, when he should have worked to protect him from himself at his most vulnerable moments. Carrying out the Zero Requiem... and leaving young Arthur and Naoto at the mercy of the world was his worst failure.

Looking at the faces of the sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia and Lady Marianne's grandsons haunted him for the ostracization they suffered through. Meeting them for the first time brough a feeling of shame he masterfully hidden inside; greeting two confused and scared toddlers who had little idea to why the world hated them. A world he helped brought along and indirectly responsible for their difficult childhood, especially for master Arthur. Who grew every year to become a near carbon clone of his father, which only made him more guilty. He could also see the burning resentment within Arthur and Naoto's eyes behind a mask of indifference and shyness. Against the world they felt took everything away from them and blamed them for deeds they never bore witness to other than guilt by association. Even if he had no clue that Lady Kallen was pregnant with Emperor Lelouch's sons, the Orange knight felt he shamed himself again. Failing Lady Marianne, Lord Lelouch, and finally his sons… The only thing he could do to redeem himself is to fight to secure a place in Britannia for them to live a long and prosperous life as Britannian royalty.

"Hello Orange." C.C greeted Jeremiah as she joined him outside of the G1 mobile base. Staring at the morning horizon besides him arms crossed, feeling the air breezing past them.

"They'll be here soon. If they actually listened to our message using that special Imperial Guard channel over several days ago." C.C spoke, referring to the encrypted signal they sent to all major and minor groups of Neo-Britannia to gather at Pendragon Crater.

Jeremiah ignored her as he continued on looking to the horizon, occasionally glancing at Arthur's Vincent Ward II standing near Blue Base. The rightful Emperor standing on top of his knightmare's opened cockpit, looking into the horizon as well waiting for his soon-to-be armies to arrive. Besides the white KMF was the sky-blue Vincent Conquista and a mobile turret along with few foot soldiers (he noticed they were young, being between late teenagers to early twenties) accompanying them.

"Did you heard the news lately? The Commonwealth of Australia seems to be 'politely' telling the UFN to throw themselves off from Australian soil." C.C told him, still looking to the morning sky. "That makes some of our plans much easier to execute with this development and something to keep in mind of. Though I wonder what Schneizel was thinking since he's likely the only person capable of launching such operation, considering he has the ears of the Ohgi and the others."

Jeremiah continued to be silent as he stared into the horizon, and occasionally looking at Arthur.

"You know, I'm still surprised on how fast they grew up. One moment, they were sitting on my lap demanding stories or pizza. Now, they're trying to win a civil war." C.C remarked with an odd expression conveying a mixture of both sorrow and pride.

"Like father like sons I suppose." She whispered.

Jeremiah finally spoke with uncertainty. "Do you think what we're doing is right? That master Lelouch would be proud of what we're going to do?"

"I suppose in some ways Lelouch wouldn't be happy, but we're trying to keep his kid alive. And salvage something out of Zero Requiem's failure." The immortal witch replied. "Is Orange feeling doubt on his conviction?"

"Never!" Jeremiah exclaimed in annoyance before calming down. "It's simply… lord Arthur and Naoto endured much because of Zero Requiem. And how I feel I already failed them in many ways."

"… And that I'll end up fighting Lady Nunnally and Sayoko." Jeremiah finished with a tired tone.

C.C's bored face subtly shifted to one of sorrow as she closed her eyes. Feeling a sense of guilt for the way the world turned out. A world brought upon by Zero Requiem which made things worse, while handing nothing but misery for her pseuo-sons/nephews. She had a chance to prevent Lelouch from embracing his self-destructive fate, yet she wondered why she did nothing to stop him on it? Peace was still long ways away and the nature of humanity proved strong in the face of such highly idealistic plan, which she supposed was a glorified suicide attempt.

"I understand that feeling." C.C muttered as she looked at Arthur conversing with the Neo-Britannian troops near him. She couldn't exactly hear what they were conversing about, but it appeared to have some of them laughing. Which was still an odd sight compared to his father who was for the most part secretive with his former army.

The past several days she witnessed Arthur and Naoto trying to interact with the fighters of the Excalibur's Flame cell and Blue Base's staff. Attempting to spark some conversations with them as much as he can while maintaining some lines between Emperor and his soldiers. C.C could see Arthur trying to be casual as possible in talking to them, likely excited to meet the people who were fighting for him and not despising his very existence. It was bit more easier for Naoto as he was the crown prince though he largely stuck with Layla.

"Any words on Kallen?" She asked Jeremiah with a concerned voice.

"Anya reported in that she's still in coma from her injuries. We don't know when she'll wake up but we're estimating at least a month from now." He answered her.

C.C nodded at the answer before continuing to observe Arthur and troops near him. 'Kallen, please wake up soon, your sons needs you with them.'

* * *

**Hours later**

"We have movement all around us!" The sensor operator of _Blue Base_'s bridge crew called out.

"Scan their IFF tags and their comm chatter." Cecile ordered to the bridge crew. It was obvious who they were but standard procedures and caution still demanded them identifying if they were friend or foe.

"We have confirmation on the IFF tags, they're friendlies!" The operator reported back.

Colonel Cecile Croomy observed the screen and the visual table showing over hundreds of dots moving in from different direction towards their position. Some of the appeared to be moving in by air or ground, and the IFF tags identifying each Neo-Britannia cells as the White Phoenix, Shields of Britannia, Devil Dogs, Merry Daggers, Order of St. Michael, Nevada Home Guard, Sons of St. George, Camelot Guards, Hector's Rangers, Blood of Ricardo, Silent Blades, Sisters of the Valkyrie and many others. Many major and minor cells that normally be arguing and fending with one another were gathering at neutral ground.

The middle-aged purple-haired woman could make out from the bridge that each cells brought with them some sizable forces. Not enough to eliminate other cell groups but enough to ensure their own security. Cecile could see Neo-Britannia soldiers wearing standard military armor, makeshift armor they scavenged, or wearing just plain clothing. For their vehicles, she could see variety of vehicles ranging from MT-1 mobile turrets to Crusader assault guns, some looking battered while others appearing well-maintained. No aircrafts in sight despite number of cells maintaining some impressive aircraft fleet, with the White Phoenix having a fleet of airships. Finally for knightmare frames, it was a mixed situation as few of the larger cells were fielding mostly Vincent series with a handful of Gareths. While other cells still had some Vincent Wards or Gareth, yet many of their KMFs were largely 5th-gen units haphazardly put together with Sutherlands using Gloucester parts and vice versa. Along with some rare 7th-gen units using 5th-gen parts.

Overall it was a mish-mashed group loosely fighting for a common cause, but divided over the smaller details and the general idea of the future. Cecile sighed to herself at the amount of work laid out for her in upgrading and standardizing all their equipment, whether they were KMFs or vehicles. And forgetting they had to supply them with new equipment from the south until the industries in Neo-Britannia were fully operational.

* * *

High General Charmalle Finlay narrowed her eyes at the modified G1 MCV colored in blue and its escort waiting in front of her Vincent Commander. Wondering who was operating the vehicle and how they had access to the Imperial Guard channel only very few had any access to, along with why they were called here. She could see not only her token forces were with her but dozens of other cells were heading to the same direction as her.

There wasn't any standoffs or arguments between one cell to another but sheer curiosity to the one who sent a message calling them to gather at Pendragon Crater. She wasn't sure what they intended to accomplish here today as it would likely end up with most meetings with nothing ever getting done other than some shared goals being somewhat achieved.

The dark orange-haired general then forced her Vincent Commander to a stop a hundred meters away from blue G1 MCV as the rest of her company did so too. A move that was copied by the rest of the other cells in stopping their vehicles and KMFs.

General Finlay got a closer look at the escorts surrounding the G1 MCV. Majority of them were dressed in rag-tag uniforms and armor, giving her a clue this was a blog-standard militia cell. Though their equipment raised some eyebrows that besides few mobile turrets, they had two KMF models she wasn't familiar with. One was a Sutherland with two large cannons mounted behind its back and looking somewhat sleeker. The other one that got her attention the most was what appeared to be a Vincent Commander but colored in sky-blue colors. However, she noticed that it was somewhat bulkier and angular than the standard Vincent Commander, along with having what appeared to be Bl shield emitters on its arms and the absence of needler blazers. This wasn't a standard unit she concluded, wondering how they got their hands on such unit and skills to make it so along with that G1 mobile base.

Before she could open up a line of communication she heard one of the cell leaders yell out first. "Who the heck are you!"

Her screen showed the individual who yelled out as Walter Clark, the leader of the Devil Dogs, and a bit of a hot-blooded and blunt individual. But an effective leader in organising his forces to be one of the feared cells to the Principality and the Black Knights.

The sky-blue Vincent variant's cockpit opened up to reveal a young blonde woman who appeared to be between her late teens and early 20s dressed in a standard military devicer suit. She then took one breath before standing firm and giving a standard military salute to all of them.

"Valentina Pelsy, acting leader of the Excalibur's Flame, formerly based at Yucatan." The blonde woman reported.

"Yucatan? You're a long way from home." Clark muttered in surprise.

"Are you the one who sent the message?" Another leader questioned, her screen showing it was Kohana Anvils, leader of the Anvil cell, a small but deadly group with some skilled devicers and soldiers. "Especially one used by the Emperor Lelouch's Imperial Guard."

"No, but my leader was the one to send it to you all to gather here today." Valentina replied as he looked back to the G1 MCV, whose KMF catapults opened up to have three KMFs exiting the command vehicle. Then with great agility and grace, they landed in front of the sky-blue Vincent Conquista to face the crowd.

The pink Vincent Conquista, the _Vincent Loyal_, and a white Vincent Ward II stood proudly before them. The three high-tech KMFs drew the eyes of all the cell leaders and soldiers of Neo-Britannia on who the devicers were. Their questions being mostly answered as the pink and orange Vincents' cockpit opened up to reveal the devicers behind them.

All eyes widen at the sight of Lady C.C and Lord Jeremiah Gottwald emerging from their cockpits to stand on top of it. The legendary figures of Emperor Lelouch's reign who helped him become the 99th Emperor and achieve the greatest moment of the history of the Holy Britannian Empire. Seeing them here was a major shock to them all; never mind directly helping them now after years of refugee in Australia.

"J-Jeremiah Gottwald!? He's here!?"

"Orange!?"

"The Knight of One and the Adviser!"

"Lord Gottwald, Lady CC!?"

All the cell members and leaders burst into loud, surprised murmurs and whispers at seeing Emperor Lelouch's mysterious female adviser and the former Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard.

Then the white Vincent Ward II's cockpit hissed and opened up, all eyes magnetized to the final, unknown devicer emerging from the cockpit.

Followed by absolute silence from everybody, silence comparable to the darkness of space or the silence one achieves when achieving inner peace and ascending to a whole new state of mind. It was this kind of silence as Arthur Vi Britannia stood proudly on top of the cockpit, looking at the Neo-Britannia cell in front of him. Not a single word uttered from their shocked faces as their eyes widen further and jaws dropped to the ground.

The man who was the living visage of Lelouch Vi Britannia the Liberator. The only person who shared such visage was one of his twin sons Arthur Vi Britannia; thought to have disappeared after the assassination attempt at Australia with his surviving family. But here he was in front of them dressed in a devicer jumpsuit with Lady C.C and Jeremiah Gottwald besides him along with heavy equipment. Everybody knew what his meant but they were too stunned to say a word, especially the cell leaders.

High General Charmalle Finlay had her cockpit opened so that she could see him with her own eyes, unable to fully comprehend what was happening.

"A-are you… His majesty's son?" She asked the question that everybody else around her had in their collective minds.

There was a brief period of silence as Arthur took in a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening them up again with a empowered look.

He spoke his first words to them with the best aura he could project. "Yes. I am Arthur vi Britannia, son of the martyred Emperor Lelouch "the Liberator," and I heard the cry of my people desperate for salvation. I have heeded that call, and I promise you as son, that I will avenge my murdered father, and I promise that so long as I am your Emperor we shall restored order and tranquility to our land, drive the barbarous UFN from our shores, and restore Britannia to its rightful place in this world! All Hail Britannia!"

Silence swept through the crowd still processing WHO was standing in front of them. Unable to believe their greatest dream had come truth right before their eyes, some barely believing this was a dream.

"All Hail Arthur! Long live the 100th ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire! May he lead us to a new age and glory!" Valentina Pelsy suddenly cried out. Prompting everybody to follow her lead and cheer for their new found hope.

"**All Hail Arthur!**"

* * *

**2037 ATB, June 7th**

**Duchy of Ohio, Britannia**

**03:14 PM**

Naoto Ohgi cursed in Japanese after a slash harken tore off a chunk of his Akatsuki's left shoulder plating, forcing him to miss with his arm-mounted bazooka cannon. The object of his frustration, the enemy Sutherland II was now charging straight towards him with its EM lance ready for a killing strike.

The half-Japanese devicer took aim with his bazooka at the incoming KMF while constantly moving to keep a distance between himself and the enemy. The Black Knight corporal fired a 90mm shells at its target. The shell exploded on the ground in front of it – hopefully damaging the enemy frame or crippling its mobility. However, it came out unharmed as a familiar light-green glimmer of the blaze luminous system on its arm protected it from the blast.

Despite the cannon shot slowing it down, the enemy frame continued charge towards the Akatsuki now firing more shells in panic; while the Darwinist KMF weaved through each shot with ease. Suddenly a barrage of 20mm rounds shot towards Sutherland II's general direction, forcing it to cancel its charge to evade the gunfire and bring up its shields. The attackers revealed themselves as a pair of Akatsuki units and a familiar black knightmare frame with two red hair attachments coming from its predatory, mono-eye head.

The _Zangetsu Kai_ stop near the bazooka-armed Akatsuki as the other frames continued their attack on the Sutherland II.

"Naoto, again with me saving your butt. This is getting tiresome you know." Naoto Ohgi's screen changed to show the face of his friend, Mashiro Tohdoh, looking at him with a smirking expression.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Corporal Ohgi muttered back. This was an annoying trend he always ended up in ever since he joined the Black Knights and somehow ended up being shipped there alongside his childhood friend.

"What happened to your team?" Mashiro asked.

"What do you think." Corporal Ohgi motioned his friend to look at the wreckages of several BK knightmares nearby. "Intel screwed up the enemy force deployment locations. My team was supposed to be part of the rear guard but we got smashed by units that overwhelmed or bypassed the assault force up ahead.

"Or that 10th-generation units were being deployed in this area of combat!" He shouted in anger.

"They're already mass-producing 10th-generation units already?" Mashiro Tohdoh wondered out loud looking at the Sutherland II fighting off the Akatsukis. The last information he heard of them was still being in development stage.

The enemy KMF parried away a Akatuski's RBS baton before skewering its EM lance through the KMF's chest and cockpit. The dead Akatsuki was thrown aside as its ruptured drive system went critical and exploded.

The other Akatsuki attempted to avenge its partner by slashing towards the Sutherland II's cockpit. But its attempts were in vain when a Vincent Ward II slammed its needle blazer pressed against the cockpit and blasted the cockpit from the inside.

The two Darwinist knightmares turned their attention to the Akatsuki and the _Zangetsu Kai_; the former now firing its remaining shells at them while the latter spun its landspinner towards them at great speed.

The Vincent Ward II fired its rifle at the charging black KMF as dozens of 25mm rounds spat out at high-velocity. The customised KMF weaved through the shots while its radiant barrier took up shots it couldn't dodge as it came near the enemy frame now backing away. And just as the _Zangetsu Kai_ was about to get a new kill, a pair of harkens from the Sutherland II interrupted the attack as the 10th-gen unit attempted to attack with its EM lance. The slash harkens bounced off _Zangetsu Kai_'s radiant barrier as it spun around with its rocket-propelled Seidoutou II blade to slash at its new target. Only for the Sutherland II to back away at the last second and bring up its luminous shield to protect against the blade. It then thrusted its lance to the side of the Black Knight KMF, shearing off armor and material from its side. Electricity buzzing out erratically from the side wound.

"Damn!" Mashiro roared in anger at seeing the damage on the knightmare gifted to him. His screen flashed with warning of the damage report his KMF suffered from the attack. His _Zangetsu Kai_'s power output decreased by 26% and suffering some system shock to secondary system. The Zangetsu was damaged, but it was still in fighting condition.

The Britannian knightmare frame, however, was going to pay dearly for the offense.

The Sutherland II charged at full speed with its lance sensing an opening. However, the _Zangetsu_ flipped its blade down and launched its pommel slash harken at one of the landspinners of the Sutherland II nearly sending it spinning out of control. That was the time Mashiro needed as he charged forward with his Seidoutou ready for the fatal blow. The enemy frame thrusted its lance forward but it ineffectively slammed against its enemy's enhanced RW barrier. The black KMF fired off the chest and left wrist slash harkens at the Darwinist KMF, disabling its right arm and decapitating its head. Followed by the dark KMF sliding to the Darwinist's rear and thrusting the Seidoutou through the cockpit block to skew through the helpless devicer and the power drive.

Mashiro pulled his blade and KMF backwards as the Sutherland II's Yggdrasil drive went critical and exploded. The son of the 'miracle worker' looked left and right to see where his friend was at and saw he was struggling against the lone Vincent Ward II. Ohgi's Akatsuki lost its bazooka arm against the enemy frame's MVS lance and was struggling against it in melee combat with its RBS baton in an intense duel.

The Vincent Ward II charged at the Akatsuki with its lance about to make a thrust attack, which corporal Ohgi managed to dodge to the side and slash against the Vincent Ward II. Who managed to block and parry back the super-heated rotating teeths of the baton away before slashing the baton in half. Leaving the Akatsuki with nothing but a small metal stick.

Naoto Ohgi cursed at whoever designed the suboptimal weapon given out as standard-issue melee equipment. It's general ineffectiveness compared to the superior MVS lance and appearance caused many Black Knight devicers to derogatory nickname it the "Chainsaw Dildo". While he could admit that it was cheap to construct and compact in its storage form, it was still irritating that the bladed portion was limited to the top portion of the baton that made melee combat a tricky affair compared to using a full-on RBS katana. A good amount of cases he heard about and just experienced now was attempted melee attacks against opponents resulted in said non-bladed sections cut apart, leaving said user with just a literal baton.

But he still had some weapons to use and a small opening he now needed to exploit! He deployed his twin chest 20mm machine guns and fired upon the Vincent Ward II while launching his chest slash harken. The barrage of 20mm rounds hammered against the Ward II, forcing it to back away just as it was about to slice him apart, followed by the slash harken he launched smashing its head apart, rendering it blind. Just in time for the _Zangetsu_ _Kai_ to speed past the damaged KMF and bisect it across the torso. The Vincent Ward II's upper half collapsed to the ground and exploded before the cockpit bloc could eject safety.

"Thanks Tohdoh." Naoto Ohgi breathed out as adrenaline wore out and exhaustion setting in.

"No worries, but I suggest we fall back to the FOB. We can't hold this position anymore longer from the Darwinists, and our KMFs are damaged and low on energy." Mashiro told Ohgi.

"Hai, what a mess this mission turned into." Naoto Ohgi groaned out as he followed _Zangetsu Kai_ back to their FOB.

"This is going to get more uglier when we finally gain the upper hand against the Darwinists and push them back until they're defeated."

Corporal Naoto Oghi of the Black Knights' International Peace Corps Division never realized how prescient his words would be, or how they were directed at that wrong faction.


End file.
